First Impressions
by Monsteruphigh
Summary: It was the last place she wanted to work, but she had no choice. He was ready to meet the sun and was forced to say goodbye to his progeny until he saw her.
1. Chapter 1

'First impressions' were two words that held no meaning for a vampire. Why would it, when vampires had the ability to glamour? First impressions meant nothing when you could have numerous first impressions without the human's knowledge, then again why would he give a fuck about impressing a blood bag or anyone for that matter. As far as he was concerned the blood bags were only good for one thing a feed and a fuck. Since the great revelations, his food came to him in abundance.

It was with this in mind that Eric wondered how he found himself on the verge of apologizing to a human. He was desperate, and desperation was not a good look on anyone, sup or human.

Pam had sent him a text calling dips on the bartender he was about to interview, and in truth, he couldn't care less. That was until the human in question walked through the door, he realized he wasn't about to forfeit just yet _._ She smelled quite sweet, he knew her blood would at least taste pleasant, but he really liked was her overall package.

" _Åh, jag tvivlar på att hon svänger dig. Titta på den röven och de bröstet ... En tjej som vet vet hur en tar en bra kuk och jag är säker på att svälja ivrigt. förlåt Pam, men du_ _erbjuder inget av ovanstående."_ (Oh, I doubt she swings your way. Look at that ass and those breasts... a girl like that knows how a take a good dick and I'm sure swallows eagerly. Sorry Pam, but you offer none of the above.)

" _Jag skulle inte vara så säker på det. Hur hon såg mig berättar för mig allt jag behöver veta."_ (I wouldn't be too sure about that. The way she looked at me tells me everything I need to know.)

Sookie lets out an audible sigh earning the attention of the two vampires blatantly talking about her. "Sorry, Miss Stackhouse… old habit, we tend to talk business in Swedish when others are in the room. Makes confidentiality easier to deal with." Eric delivered in a tone that left little to the imagination.

"Business?" Sookie questioned, her voice laced with disdain. "Is that what you call it. I thought I was here to interview for the position of bartender not prostitute. The only reason I can surmise for your talking about which way I swing or how well I can take a dick and swallow can be construed as business is if I was applying to a whore house."

Neither Eric or Pam could hide their shock, in the decades they have openly talked about others in Swedish never once had any understood or even if they did called them out on it. "This was clearly a bad idea. Thanks for the opportunity, but I don't think I'm suitable for this establishment." She needed the money desperately, but she wasn't about to sell herself for a job. The farmhouse was on its last legs, and the estimate from Herveaux and Sons was nearly fifty thousand dollars. Jackson Herveaux had agreed to have her pay in installments. Even then she still had to come up with two and a half thousand dollars a month. So far the only job she'd found advertised that gave her that kind of money without a college education was a vampire establishment that opened three months ago. She'd known about vampires since she was fourteen, so the great revelation came as no surprise to her. She just never thought she would find herself right in their midst.

"Miss Stackhouse, you just walked in here. The conversation you just heard never happened. Sit down, and no matter what the job entails you will accept it." Eric glamoured her as he wasn't about to let her go even if he had to play a little dirty to achieve it.

"Yep, I was right this is not the place for me. " Sookie mumbled making her way towards the door.

"You can't be glamoured," Pam asked her jaw practically hanging off, while Eric just stared, looking incredulous.

"What gave it away, Einstein?" The level of coldness in which that retort was delivered had Pam feeling a great deal of respect for the girl, not that she'd ever admit it out loud. This was dangerous and before the great revelation, she'd be dead. He wasn't entirely sure he should let her leave alive, but he had no idea who would come looking for her and if they had the same resistance to glamour as she did.

They were desperate for a bartender, even though they had advertised for one since before Fangtasia opened no one had applied for the position. They had Longshadow, but he was currently away due to his maker calling him. This had proved to be a colossal inconvenience since no one else knew how to mix drinks. In the last two weeks the humans weren't drinking as much because Pam, Maxwell nor Thalia knew a thing about tending bar. Fangtasia's primary source of income was the copious amounts of alcohol consumed by the blood bags. Right now that income was suffering, as the blood bags weren't drinking the vile concoctions they were served. Sookie Stackhouse was the first applicant they've had, not only was she applying for the job, she was experienced and a waitress to boot. Right now they had no bartender and only two waitresses, Ginger had been with them before it was a bar and Brenda only applied because she was desperate for money since her husband walked out on her leaving her with two kids. Right now, Miss Stackhouse was in control as much as they hated to admit it.

Eric Northman for the first time in his thousand-year existence was about to grovel to a human. A human who couldn't be glamoured and who wasn't afraid to speak her mind. "Miss Stackhouse… our behavior was unbecoming, and I would like to offer an apology." He said feeling proud of himself for having managed it without needlessly gagging. Except Miss Stackhouse stood there as though she was waiting for something.

"Saying you'd like to offer an apology and actually apologizing are two different things."

 _Miss Stackhouse wants her pound of flesh._ _The day she finally yields to me will be glorious. I will have her following me like a dog on a leash. In fact, I might get one for the basement… just for her._

"Indeed, I'm sorry for the crassness of the conversation you heard between myself and my childe, and for then trying to glamour you into forgetting." Much to his consternation, she opened the door to leave. "I apologized." He growled.

"And I don't have to accept it." She bit back.

"Miss Stackhouse, I will double your pay if you will just forget the last few minutes and allow us to start again." Eric tried his tone sounding apologetic and contrite.

"I will get back to you," Sookie said walking out the door without a backward glance.

"FUCK." Eric bellowed as he sent his desk flying. "If Longshadow doesn't come back soon we are fucked."

...

Eric tipped the contents of the shopping bag onto the bed, he tried on every outfit hating every single one of them. No, he didn't hate the clothes, what he hated was the fact that he had been reduced to a pimple-faced teenage boy going on his first date with the girl he'd wanted since he could get his dick to rise.

He thought back to their first interaction after she started working at the club.

"Hello, Sookie." He purred. "How are you finding working for me?" He said with a smirk that had many women falling over themselves to just answer him.

"It pays the bills." She responded her head still in her locker rummaging around.

He moved to stand behind her. "Yield to me." He said softly expecting her to startle since he knew she hadn't heard him move, except she appeared to know he was there and didn't flinch, not a muscle.

"Why would I? You've already made the mistake once of thinking me a whore. One would think it would be a mistake you wouldn't make again."

"I don't see you as one." He growled anger seeping into his voice.

"No, you only treat women as such."

"Only if they acted as such… then yes." He didn't see why he should treat women that acted like whores as anything another than that.

"And what does that say about the man… or vampire who is happy to delve into that filth. I have a great deal of self-respect Mr. Northman and like to spend time with like-minded individuals." He raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Are you saying I'm a whore, Miss Stackhouse?"

"If the shoe fits." Was her sarcastic response. He threw his head back in laughter.

"Vampires view sex differently to humans, we don't hold it in the same moral regard you do." He defended hating the fact that he had to. But if he was to get what he wanted, then he had to play the game.

"Whatever." She mumbled shutting her locker door before heading out for her shift.

He had chuckled as she walked out knowing sooner or later she would be bent over his desk like everyone else.

Sookie was proving to be an entertaining challenge, one he welcomed. It broke up the tedium and lack of variety in his existence. He had learned in her first week that she didn't scare easy, in fact… she didn't scare at all. She had angered him for reasons he didn't care to think about, and he had pinned her against the wall with his fangs bared in fury. Her reaction had shocked him to the core as she always seemed to do, there was none. Her heart rate didn't change; he couldn't smell the stench of fear coming off her. In fact, she appeared positively bored by the whole thing. He stood with her against the wall wondering who she truly was and was lost in his head only to be brought back when she asked if he was done in a tone that only further served to anger him. He released her and vamped into his office perplexed further by the enigma that was Sookie Stackhouse.

He looked at the clothes in annoyance, the worst part, he wasn't going on the date because the girl in question barely acknowledged his existence. He'd heard the phrase there is a first time for everything, but never thought it would once apply to him, not in this capacity. He was the reason so many came to the club, fangbangers threw themselves at him begging to be fed from and if they were lucky, fucked. He loved nothing more than the adventurous once who liked to be introduced to the chains in his basement. Yet Sookie Stackhouse paid him no mind, she was far from yielding to him, and it made him irritable to be around. It had been seventeen months since she started working at Fangtasia and in that time he could count on one hand the number of interactions they'd had that didn't revolve around her job, and everyone was just like the first. She responded to his innuendos with a vacant stare or just walked away. He had offered her some sort of relationship before she left for her holiday, she had scoffed and walked away mumbling about the differences between a whore and a pet. She treated him like her boss and would not cross that line no matter how hard he tried. Now he wasn't sure if he wanted her because he couldn't have her or if he wanted her because he genuinely wanted her.

It had taken him two weeks of groveling phone calls to get Sookie to agree to another job interview. The second time he and Pam did not make the mistake of acting in anyway another than in a professional capacity. He was capable of that, after all, he owned several corporate businesses, but Fangtasia allowed their baser instincts to leap to the forefront. She had surprised them when she refused the offer of tripling her pay. Sookie was clearly a woman of high morals, and it annoyed the hell out of him.

Things have changed since then, now Fangtasia was popular, night after night there were long queues of blood bags just eager to be in his presence. He had more applicants for all sorts of job positions than he knew what to do with. Had that been the case seventeen months ago Sookie Stackhouse would not be in his brain tormenting his every waking moment. He could fire her, but she was incredibly popular with the fangbangers and the vampires. She had a little trick of knowing what drinks the customers wanted before they asked for it. She got it right ninety-five percent of the time. It was an incredible trick, everyone loved it. You could see the disappointment on people's faces when she got it wrong.

For the first time since she started working for them, she had requested two weeks off and today was her first day back. He wanted to look irresistible. Every approach he'd tried had failed, he was beginning to think Pam might have been right and that Sookie preferred women, except Pam was failing just as spectacularly as he was.

 _Maybe… it's time to accept she simply isn't interested in vampires.  
_

He got dressed in his usual attire and threw a leather jacket on. Needing to clear his head he took to the sky only to drop back down clutching his chest needlessly. The pain he felt kept him on the ground. "Godric." He groaned just as the bond closed again. He'd known for years his maker was feeling despondent, but this was nothing like he expected. Godric seemed to have lost the will to continue to exist. He stood up wondering why the bond had been briefly opened. The pain he felt stayed with him even though the bond was closed.

He once again took to the sky, minutes later he landed in the back parking lot of the bar. He made his way to the office to find Pam waiting for him.

"You felt it."

"Yes, what was that." She choked out. If he was floored by what he felt at his age, Pam must have been in excruciating pain.

"Godric."

"Fuck."

"Yes," Eric said softly before sitting behind his desk. "I should get out there." Eric was out of the door before Pam could object.

He got his blackberry out hoping Godric would send a text at least explaining what had happened, but he knew none would come. That was when he felt it, the bond was still closed, but he knew his maker was in the area. Godric was on his way to Fangtasia. His maker had never seen the bar; he didn't care for such environments or the kind of humans who frequented it. For the first time in over a year, his focus wasn't on Sookie, who was, as usual, charming the regulars with her trick and witty remarks. Somehow she had them believing their clothing and personality told her what drinks they would order. She had asked a man what shoes he was wearing and when he had answered with the designer's name she put an umbrella in his drink, a wedge of lime and a straw. He had looked confounded but admitted it was precisely how he liked his drink. Eric thought it was complete bull but just didn't know how she did it. One thing he did know was that personal style of dressing had nothing to do with what they drunk.

She looked towards the door seconds before Godric walked in. She had felt a void unlike any other; it was huge but at the same time projected a certain calmness she never got from the others.

Thalia smiled at the sight of the ancient. Godric was the oldest vampire in North America and one of the oldest in the world. He had a quiet demeanor about him that belied a ruthlessness if called for. He was death itself and had earned the name for a reason. She also knew he didn't like to be reminded of his past, a past he was now ashamed of and haunted by.

"Master." She said bowing low.

"Thalia, how long has it been?" He asked with that congenial smile of his.

"Too long… it is good to see you." She stepped aside allowing him into the club.

With a sigh he walked in, his childe got up from his makeshift throne and headed towards him. "Master." He muttered barely above a whisper.

"Eric." He said looking around the club until his eyes found Sookie. For the first time in centuries, something caught Godric's eye, and it appeared the feeling was mutual. "We will talk when the bar closes." He said walking towards the bar.

"Can I have one those blood substitutes?" Despite the power emanating from him he actually sounded unsure of himself. Yet asking for a drink in a bar was the norm.

"Are you sure?" Sookie asked with a smile.

"At my age, I need very little blood to survive."

"Then why put yourself through drinking what I'm told is rather disgusting." She beamed a smile at him.

"I felt it was the best way to start a conversation." He admitted.

"You could start by asking my name." She offered.

"Yes, that is good. I am Godric." Much to her surprise, he put his hand out.

"Hello Godric, I'm Sookie Stackhouse." She took his hand in her and surprised by how soft his skin felt and not as cold as she expected.

"Someone caught her attention after all." Pam drooled leaning against Eric's throne.

"It would appear so," Eric admitted just as the bond with his maker opened again and this time, though the pain was still there, it appeared a sense of joy swam through it.


	2. Chapter 2

Eric was beginning to get frustrated, Godric had been in Shreveport for over three weeks and yet that talk they were supposed to have still hadn't happened. He had a good idea why Godric had come, but somehow Sookie had changed his plans. Godric came to Shreveport with nothing but the clothes on his back.

For decades he'd feared his maker had every intention of meeting the sun, and this trip was to say goodbye. Yet night after night he showed up at Fangtasia, sat at the bar talking to Sookie. Night after night he watched them feeling jealous of their easy interaction. He watched her blush when he said something complimentary, which was a lot. He watched her laugh when she used some idiom or modern term Godric misunderstood. He watched his maker laugh when she explained what it meant. A particular talk about going cold turkey had Godric laughing until blood run down his face when Sookie explained what the term meant and just how badly he had misconstrued the meaning. He knew he should be feeling a great sense of relief. He should be happy that the pain his maker had been feeling for the past few decades was receding. He was, but he just wished it wasn't because of the girl he wanted.

Godric sat at the bar watching Sookie work, he was old enough to know she wasn't entirely human. He could on occasion smell a sweet scent coming from her only for it to suddenly dissipate. He was sure Sookie Stackhouse was able to mask her scent. I'm going to take my break now, care to join me." It was the first time she'd asked him.

"Yes, I would." He said with a smile. He followed her down the corridor and out of the emergency door. She leaned against her car, and he joined her. "Usually I spend my hour researching, but I handed in my work today."

"How is it going?" Godric asked. He knew she was taking college courses online studying business administration. Sookie was a bright girl, but lack of finances meant she had to put her life on hold. He knew she had also only taken the job at Fangtasia because her family's home was in an appalling state of disrepair. The job had provided enough money to allow her to pay for the repairs sooner than she had anticipated. Sookie had continued working at the bar because she saw an opportunity to further her education. Godric couldn't convey just how relieved he was that she was still working at the bar when he showed up.

"I'm told there is a dessert bar in Monroe that serves the best ice cream in all of Louisiana. Would you like to go for ice cream after you are done for the evening?"

"Why not," Sookie answered with a chuckle. "Meant to ask you… can you fly? I know Eric can, but Pam can't."

"Yes, I can fly," Godric answered. "Our abilities don't always transfer. If Pamela ever decided to become a maker, her progeny could in all likelihood have the ability to fly, but for their sake, I hope they don't." Sookie chuckled knowing exactly what he meant. She would be jealous if her childe developed an ability everyone in the family had except for her. The same could also be said for the opposite. It wasn't until she was thirteen when she discovered a box full of journals from her grandfather and great-grandfather that she discovered Jason also had a gift. It had been so obvious, but they had put his gift down to his good looks and charming, affable personality.

After an hour of mostly comfortable silence, the two went back into the bar. Sookie saw Jason at the bar getting a bottle of beer from Longshadow. "Jase." She called surprised to see him.

"Hey Sook." He said with a smile.

"Thought you had a case." She questioned.

"All wrapped up." His eyes turned to Godric.

"Jase, this is Godric, he's the sheriff's maker. Godric, this is my brother, detective Jason Stackhouse." Sookie said by way of introduction.

"So you are Godric," Jason said with a sharp nod. Godric did not miss the look of surprise on Jason's face before it quickly disappeared. "Sook talks about you all the time, so much so my gran wants to meet ya."

"I would love to meet her." Godric offered.

"Oh excellent, she would be real happy to know," Jason said with a smile. "Say how about Sunday, since Sook's not working… unless you busy or somethin'."

The three stood around the bar chatting amicably for a while. Jason's attention was drawn to a vampire with a young brunette on his arm. They were on the dance floor for about fifteen minutes then headed for the restroom.

He let out one of his ear-piercing whistle aimed directly at the vampire heading to the restroom. That got the attention of the whole bar. "Now, I may not know much about vampires, but I do know one thing, you do not need the restroom." The vampire growled low in annoyance all the while pulling on his earlobe as though it hurt.

"Who do you think you are talking to, blood bag?"

"You, I do believe that sign up there is not for show," Jason responded.

"What business is it of yours?" He said menacingly slowly making his way towards Jason.

"Detective Jason Stackhouse," Jason responded showing him his badge. "Recognize I'm been nice… I could have allowed you to go to the restroom and feed on the girl then slapped your sheriff with a citation and a fine." Jason raised an eyebrow at him. Though he knew he couldn't slap the sheriff with a citation he had the distinct feeling the vampire didn't know that. "Or am I wrong?" He asked no one in particular.

"No, you are not," Eric growled coming to his feet, which sucked all the bravado out of the vampire.

"I wasn't going to…"

Then what business do you have in there… because the detective is right you do not need to use it?"

"You will stay behind after the bar closes… you and I need to have a few words." The vampire nodded and walked away quickly from the girl.

"Now young lady…" Jason said turning his attention to the young girl. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one." She said with a slight quake to her voice.

"Try again and this time take into account I made detective within my first year on the job."

"Twenty-one." She repeated.

"Show me your ID," Jason said with a sigh. She confidently pulled it out of her back pocket and handed it to Jason.

"Serena Bruce…"

" Yeah." The girl responded.

"Well, it's genuine, but it's not yours. It's your sisters… even if I didn't know your sister, I can straight away tell the girl in this picture has higher cheekbones, which begs the question. How did a vampire miss this?"

"They didn't ask for ID." The girl volunteered.

"How are old are you?" Jason asked again.

"Sixteen." A loud growl was heard from Eric. A sixteen-year-old getting in without her ID been checked wasn't good.

"I gave you a second chance to be honest with me and you lied. You should have recognized that I was been nice." Godric smiled realizing it was the detective's line.

"I will be keeping a hold of this and paying your parents a visit." She looked close to tears at that.

"What is your name?"

"Sarah." She answered barely above a whisper.

"Sarah, how did you get here?"

"I drove."

"I take it it's your parent's car." She nodded in response.

"Keys. "She handed it over with shaky hands. "I noticed that the vampire had been to the bar twice and bought you alcoholic drinks. "I will call for a patrol car to take you home."

Sookie looked up to find Godric thoroughly amused, she was right there with him. "That's my brother." She said proudly.

"He is rather observant." Godric offered.

"Yes, that was how he became a detective, he worked with a road crew before." It hadn't been in Jason's plans to work for the road crew, but without the football scholarship he was banking on after his injury, he had put college on hold as well. "There was a serial killer in Monroe a few years ago who had killed three girls. I had to go to Monroe for a job interview, and Jase wasn't happy about me going by myself, so he came with me. We were in the bar when he spotted a man behaving strangely, he approached him, and after about fifteen minutes of talking, the man pulled out a knife in an attempt to kill him. He was out cold before the knife was fully out of his sheath. It was the murder weapon.

"What was strange about the behavior?" Pam asked, and Sookie realized that most of the bar was listening.

"The third murder victim worked at that bar, she was the owner's daughter. The man sat by himself staring at the girl's picture on the wall. For over an hour he did nothing but stare, but every time someone gave the girls father their condolences, the man would look down and grin. Jason approached him after a little pleasantry, he outright accused him of murder instead of defending himself he proved he was the murderer by attempted to stab Jase with the murder weapon. There were two officers in the bar that night, they thought Jase was a cop and was surprised when he said he wasn't. The next day they turned up at the house… told us the man confessed and offered Jase a job. Offered to pay for his training and everything. Jase realized he could do so much more, so he accepted their offer." Sook finished with a shrug.

"I would have offered him a job too, he is good at it," Pam said.

"Yeah, and that right hook of his never disappointed. I swear he can knock anyone out with it." Sookie mumbled.

"I doubt that very much." Alfonse, a vampire that frequented the bar said boldly.

"Alfonse didn't see you there," Sookie said with a smile.

"I hear you've got a hell of a right hook that knocks me out," Alfonse said to Jason the minute he walked back in. Sookie shook her head knowing it wasn't what she said. "So what do you say?" Alfonse offered.

"Sure, let me put Sarah here in the patrol car, and I will see what I can do."

Alfonse shrugged off his jacket and rolled his neck as if preparing for a fight."

 _This is not going to end well._

"I say hundred dollars on Alfonse, anyone wants that bet," Pam said. More often than not, nothing happened at Fangtasia and she was bored out of her skull. This was the first fun night they'd had in months thanks to Stackhouse.

"Are you sure you want to part with your cash because you have a fine coming your way for allowing an underage girl in your club." Eric groaned hoping Jason would have forgotten. "I could have forgiven it if you simply missed it wasn't her on the ID, but complete failure to check… sorry, can't turn a blind eye to that."

"Understandable," Eric said with a nod. Godric, want to place a bet?" Eric asked mischievously.

"I believe I would, hundred dollars on Al…" he turned to find Sookie arms crossed over her chest looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "On the detective." He amended. Jason chuckled, Godric might be an old ass vampire, but he was underneath it all a man enamored with a girl.

"Okay, I'm ready," Alfonse said with a condescending smile. Jason stood with his right fist in his left hand. With a speed that was not humanly possible, he took a step back and swung. Alfonse was out cold before he hit the ground. His neck was broken, his jaw was also broken, and he had lost a couple of his molars. The noise died down immediately, you could hear a pin drop with human ears.

Eric had suspected the Stackhouse's weren't entirely human and this just proved it.

"Time to pay up," Sookie said, and the noise started up again.

"No way, that was a con job." A human male complained about having lost a hundred dollars.

"You believe, Alfonse here was in a confidence job that required him to feign been knocked out by a human. Tell me how did he break his neck, jaw, and lose two of his molars while he was punched if it was confidence job." Godric questioned. With a groan the man paid up, in fact, the entire bar put their money on the vampire, except for Sookie and Godric. Sook, some of that is mine." Jason said flexing his fingers. "Dude had a jaw like concrete." He groaned. " This shit is going to hurt tomorrow." He added. Godric could tell he was feigning his injury.

"Not as much as his pride," Pam said taking pictures of Alfonse who was still out cold on the floor. "I am going to have this blown up and put behind the bar, and one in my office." She carried on taking pictures at every angle.

"After such an entertaining night, I'd understand if you'd rather go home," Godric said as they walked outside.

"No, I need sugar after such a night." She said with a laugh.

"Do you trust me?" Godric asked.

"I do." She did for reasons she did not yet know. Godric picked Sookie up bridal style and shot into the air. It took her second to realize what had happened and screamed in delight.

Eric stood on the rooftop of Fangtasia watching them disappear into the night sky. With his sight, it took a while for that to happen. "You should be happy for him," Pam said coming up behind him.

"I know," Eric said before he took off.

Pam cursed her lack of flying ability. "Fucking gravity."


	3. Chapter 3

With a strawberry cheesecake flavored ice cream in hand, the two found a small corner to sit and chat. "Go on," Sookie said laughing.

"I don't understand," Godric admitted.

"You want to ask, but you don't want to appear rude. A small part of you is also hoping I would divulge the information without you having to ask." She took a bite out of her ice cream. In truth, he wanted to know what she was even though he was sure he knew the answer. Until Jason's little demonstration he hadn't been sure exactly which branch of the Fae they were.

"You are fairies, I would say the sky clan." She nodded with a smirk.

"Jason's little display gave it away." She surmised.

"Only the sky clan has the ability to manipulate the air around them like he did." Indeed it was impossible to direct sound into someone's ear unless you controlled the air around it. And he had help from the air with the punch he threw. "Feigning injury to his hand was rather clever," Godric added.

"You didn't fall for it," Sookie noted. I already had my suspicions so it would have been difficult to deceive me. You are a telepath." He added.

"Yep."

"What else can your brother do?

"Jason can glamour, but his is a little different from vampires. When you glamour you leave what looks like a blank canvas where the memory should be. Jason's takes the memory already there and manipulates it to what he wants them to remember." That didn't surprise Godric most male fairies had that ability. It was that combined with their looks that made them irresistible to females, especially the human kind. "Growing up we all thought I was the only one with this weird ability. Jase always had a knack for talking people into doing whatever he wanted. He was the reason no one gave me shit about my telepathy or called me weird or crazy to my face. It was cool when we were all kids, but then the teenage years kicked in and no one wants you in their head.

When Jase was fifteen, he found a load of journals in the attic. It belonged to our grandfather and great-grandfather. It was when he learned that talking people into things was an ability. The journals thought us to hone our gifts, improve on them. By the time Jase was eighteen, he could talk a whole room into stripping naked if he chose. Gran made sure we didn't abuse our gifts. We could do things like manipulate the air around us, and teleport, but not too far. Maybe from the bedroom to the kitchen, but then you'd be so tired it wasn't worth it.

"Then Jase turned twenty-five, and everything started to hurt, one day he couldn't even get out of bed. We knew what it was."

"Fae maturity," Godric answered and Sookie nodded in answer.

"After that, he could teleport from here to New Orleans and back not break a sweat. He had more control, he was more powerful and then came the light… photokinesis the journals called it."

"You have just gone through your maturity I take it." Godric intoned.

"The night you turned up was the first night I was well enough to get back to work. I was lucky, I had Jason to know exactly what to expect so I took time off knowing I wouldn't be able to work."

"Apart from his glamour and your telepathy, you both have the same set of abilities." Godric inquired.

"Yes, although I'm still learning to manipulate and control my light. I'm still not very good at sustaining it." She admitted.

For a while, they sat there in silence while she finished her ice cream. "Sookie, I would like to get to know you better," Godric said softly. Sookie was not all that surprised by the request, but she had hoped he wouldn't have asked not yet anyway. The journals thought her enough about the vampire culture, and the idea of being someone's pet didn't sit well with her.

"So would I, but I really cannot have anyone calling me a pet." She muttered angrily.

"Yes, I find that distinction to be rather appalling as well." Godric's words surprised her. She would have thought as old as he was he would be more inclined to the old ways. "I have for a long time become disillusioned with our relationship with humans. Humans are worthy creatures that have more resilience and strength than most supes would give them credit for. We came out because the growth of human technology was making it impossible to stay hidden. Yet with their inventions that allow us to live in comfort, we still have very little respect for them. Our attitude is what allows sects like the Fellowship of the Sun to grow as it does." He leaned forward relaxing his posture slightly. "I can assure you nowhere will you be classed as a pet. If I say you are not a pet, then you are not a pet. Not on paper and not from anyone's lips." He entreated so earnestly she felt bad asking for time to think about it. "Think about it." He added.

"I thought I was the telepath." She teased.

"You are rather unguarded at the moment, so much so I can smell that you are not entirely masking your scent." She was slowly getting him used to her scent. She smelled sweeter than he could ever imagine for someone who was mostly human.

"Are you going to teleport home or would you like me to fly you home." He asked hoping for the latter

"I would love for you to fly me home." With a smile, he picked her up and shot into the air.

...

He landed softly on his front lawn just before dawn. He had difficulty leaving Sookie after he got her to the farmhouse. He made his way through the house and up the stairs. His light tight underground room had yet to be furnished, so he slept in one of the guest bedrooms. The entire house was light tight, but having a basement bedroom was more secure. He decided to check his emails to see if he had anything from Isabel when he saw it. He chuckled at the thought of her using a computer to send an email. Hell, the thought of her having an email address was unusual in of itself.

' _Try harder. Gin and Tonic.'_

He knew what try harder was in relation to, but the gin and tonic was a mystery. But then again everything was a mystery with her.

…

Jason Stackhouse was on his forty-second lap when Sookie finally woke up. "Sook, I was thinking we have a barbecue. You know invite Laff and Tara." Jason suggested.

"Sounds good." She yawned before going back into the house. Jackson Herveaux had done so much more than she originally intended. Most of what he did didn't cost her any extra. Jackson would always say while we are doing this why not just do that or this. Before she knew it, she had a pool and a basement bedroom with a shower. She had used it while going through her Fae maturity. It was perfect with the screaming and constant need for an ice bath that came with the change. Jason had a basement, and that was where they kept him, it wasn't ideal, but it got the job done.

She got the stuff to make a few pies and salads for the barbecue. It was done quickly with Gran's help. She had time for a quick swim before hitting the shower. By the time she made it back downstairs, Jase was behind the grill with Laff looking over his shoulder. She was sure Laff had tried to take over, but Jase would have quickly talked him out of it. Laff, like everyone else he fell for Jase's glamour, but it didn't seem to affect him as much as it did others. Even his brain read differently to other humans.

"There you is, Hookah. Where is you been hidin' yo fine self."

"Hey, Lala." She gave him a long hug. "Working as always." She added.

"Hey Sook," Tara called out coming to join them. "Been a while."

"It has." She admitted. With working six nights a week, she barely had time for anybody.

"Vamps keeping you busy." Tara inquired.

"Not so much that as I find I actually like working at Fangtasia. Y'all should come down sometime."

"Don't know about that," Tara grumbled. Sookie laughed at the look on her friend's face. She couldn't blame Tara for wanting to stay well clear of vampires, they didn't think much of humans. Her thoughts drifted to Godric, she wondered what it would be like to be with him. She'd never been with anybody due to her gift, but that was not an issue with a vampire. The thought at first scared her because she had yet to meet a vampire she was willing to spend that kind of time with. Godric had changed her mind from their first interaction. The question was why did she need time to think when he finally took the plunge?

…

Godric had been awake for the better part of three hours waiting for the sun to go down. He had never been so eager to go anywhere, as he was ready to get to the farmhouse. He was hoping the Stackhouse matriarch would aid his pursuit of her granddaughter. Both vampire and human found themselves attracted to the Stackhouse siblings. She saw the way both men and women stared at the both of them. When it came to Sookie, he was no different. Fangtasia wasn't his scene, but he'd frequent the bar just to see her.

"Finally." He sighed when the shutters started to lift. He was out of the door and in the air before it was fully out of the way. He arrived in Bon Temps in record time, without Sookie taking up his attention he was able to see the farmhouse in all its glory. Greenery and more trees than you would have thought possible surrounded the house. It was a clear sign of the supernatural to other supes. Fairy was rumored to look more like a rainforest bathed in sunlight than anything else.

He knocked on the door and waited. He heard someone hurrying to the door. The matriarch of the house, Adele Stackhouse, opened the door. "Good evening, Godric of Gaul." To say he was surprised by the greeting would be an understatement. Seeing the look on Godric's face, Adele knew her grandchildren had been less than forthcoming. "I take it they didn't tell you that we do know quite a bit about you." Adele leveled a glare at her grandchildren who studiously avoided her stare.

"No, they didn't tell me." He chuckled.

"Please, welcome to our home, and do come in." She invited. Godric stepped over the threshold into a surprisingly modern interior. There was evidence of the original work, but most of the furnishings and appliances where modern. "I should explain, their twice removed grandfather is Niall Brigant." Godric nodded in understanding.

"The last time I saw him he needed help tracking a vampire…"

"Warlow," Jason answered.

"Yes, a hybrid…"

"He also killed our parents… John Williams Stackhouse promised Sook here to him." Jason added.

"I believe it is Niall biggest regret… not finding Warlow before he killed your parents. He was banished from this plane after that night."

"Here we are talking doom and gloom, and we haven't even offered you a drink." Adele admonished herself. "Would you like a true blood?" She asked him.

"Thank you, Adele," Godric said kindly.

After an hour or so Sookie and Jason noticed they were surplus to requirement in the ongoing conversation. Adele and Godric talked history, nothing the two of them was interested in. "If you are not careful gran is going to steal your vampire. After all, she is closer to him in age." Jason teased.

"No, she's not, and no one is closer to Godric in age." She responded with an eye roll.

"So you like him then?" He tried to sound nonchalant about it, but Sookie knew better.

From what they'd read about Godric in Niall's diaries Jason thought Godric was a badass and had always wanted to meet him. Him liking his sister was a bonus.

"I like him, but I just don't want to get involved in vampire politics." She lamented.

"He did say he will keep you out of it as much as he can." He reminded her. "Give him a chance at least." He implored.

"You are right… can't write him off without at least giving it a go."

"Good." Jason smiled, you would have thought it was him dating the vampire. "Come on, let's work on your light.


	4. Chapter 4

Godric was fully aware that his progeny was growing impatient for the talk he promised. He knew Eric was fully aware of the reasons he'd first come to Shreveport, but those reasons had now changed. He also knew Eric wanted her, but Sookie wasn't interested in what Eric had to offer.

He had made some leeway with Sookie the night before and was hoping to make further progress tonight. Watching the siblings practice their abilities was impressive. He had taught them a few strategic moves to aid their fighting ability. He had also promised to teach them sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat. Even if his romantic inclinations when it came to Sookie didn't pan out he'd still be spending a great deal of time with her.

"Erm… Sookie, can… can I erm… buy you a drink?" Godric stared at the young man with the nerves of steel for a beat. Every vampire in the place and most of the human male knew he had an interest in Sookie. Yet this human male felt brave enough to ask what everyone knew was a precursor to getting to know someone in front of him.

Sookie looked up at him, even though he looked familiar she couldn't remember his name.

"Sure." She said with a shrug.

He beamed a smile at her. "What can I get you?" he asked eagerly.

"Oh no, doesn't work that way. Have I ever asked what drink you want? With me, you have to know. " His smile disappeared rather quickly. Sookie waited for him to take a guess. From his mind, she could already tell he was way of base.

"A Manhattan." He blurted out.

"I'm afraid you are wrong, very wrong." She said feigning dejection.

"What about me?" Godric jumped in.

"Let's hear it." She challenged.

"What do I get if I get it right?" She had to admit she liked that.

"Whatever you want?" There were a few ears turned their way.

"Okay." He sat back and stared at her for a minute. "What shoes are you wearing?" That earned him a few chuckles. Vampires, she had learned were the worst gossips. They gave Mrs. Fortenberry a run for her money.

"Boots." She deadpanned.

"Ah, gin and tonic." Sookie stared at him in disbelief. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know he had it right from the look on her face. He genuinely had shocked her.

"Gin and tonic, it is." She said clearing her throat. "One of these days you are going to tell me how you knew that." She whispered not that it made much difference in a vampire bar.

"A vampire never reveals his secrets." He teased.

"Oh, you will." She threatened with a smile. "I'm off this Thursday… pick me up." She said while making herself a gin and tonic.

"Don't you have to work…"

"Oh no, there is a new bartender coming in on Thursday afternoon. Pam asked me to train her during the day, and I get the evening off. I can't continue to work every night when fall classes start. I have to go to the campus twice a week." Godric nodded in understanding.

"I would have thought they'd have more applicants," Godric asked.

"We do," Eric answered taking a seat next to Godric. "They will be coming in over the course of the next few weeks for Sookie to ascertain their potential.

"Meaning you and I can actually spend a few nights outside of Fangtasia." She whispered. Godric smiled wide, although Eric looked like he couldn't care less, internally he was not happy. He had hoped her nights off would mean nights away from Godric, not the opposite.

He got up from the bar and made his way back to his throne. For another hour he watched them and then, as usual, Godric followed her out for her break. Eric turned his focus back on the new dancer, Yvetta. She was about the only person that worked at Fangtasia or frequented it that didn't like Sookie. He didn't care to know why, all he knew was that Yvetta liked it rough and took it for hours on end. He dragged her down to the basement chained her up and without any preamble slammed his cock into her.

When he finally left the basement, the bar was closed. He found Pam taking account of the register. "Do you need to hear it?" She asked her attention still on the money she was counting at human speed.

"Hear what?" He growled.

"Hear that he came to say goodbye. Hear that he was going to meet the sun until he laid eyes on her." He didn't answer he just glared at her. "Because getting Sookie means losing Godric." Though he understood the gravity of her words, it didn't change the fact that he wanted her. He didn't love her, he didn't care to know her, but for some inexplicable reason, he couldn't get her out of his mind. He believed one night, just one night between her thighs, one night of her blood on his fangs would cure him of whatever Sookie based ailment afflicted him.

He didn't want to take her from Godric. He just wanted a taste, but deep down he knew his obsession with her would get him nowhere. Sookie didn't want him, and he didn't force himself on women. Godric would never entreat her on his behalf either. He was merely going to let his obsession run its course.

* * *

She was far too lazy that afternoon to drive, but teleporting to Fangtasia wasn't the best idea in broad daylight. She really needed to check out the area thoroughly so she could teleport if she were going to be checking out potential employees for the next few weeks. She was surprised to find the number of people applying for jobs at the bar. Had she applied now she would not have had a job as she sure as hell wouldn't have kept her mouth shut about the highly inappropriate conversation they had about her.

With a great deal of reluctance, she got behind her car and drove to Fangtasia. Surprisingly enough she was glad she drove as she spotted a little boutique and decided on a new dress for her date tonight would surely be needed. She could pick something up on her way back.

She was approaching the car park when she saw a nervous looking woman pacing up and down the alleyway. She dropped her shields just to make sure it was the woman she was waiting for or someone working up the courage to do something stupid. People took to attacking vampire establishments during the day.

" _Calm down Crystal, you know how to tend bar. Just keep your eyes open, mouth shut… learn everything you can. Don't ask too many questions… you are good at getting people to talk. Just don't rush things there is no time limit here. Just try to keep the disgust off your face in front of these abominations and the heathens that work for them."_

"Oh shit." Sookie moaned. Just what she didn't need. The minute she saw the woman she knew she was all wrong, and damn it she was right. She sent a quick text to Godric, she sure as hell wasn't about to tell Eric she was a telepath. Godric will have to think of something to out the woman.

Sookie kept her shields down as she drove around the bar to the employee's entrance. The woman was early so she could wait as far as she was concerned.

Half an hour later Sookie put her phone away and headed to the front door just as the woman knocked. "Hello, I'm Crystal." She greeted with a disarming southern accent. She would have been great for the job if she weren't a nut job casing the place for the FOTS, Sookie had learned as she listened to her thoughts.

She was from Dallas and was an active member. Hopefully, Godric could use that information to come up with something.

'Hello, Crystal, I'm Sookie. You've tended bar before, right?" Sookie asked.

"Yeah." Crystal nodded.

"Great, then I just need to show you around then show you were drinks are behind the bar. Your tryout is tomorrow night, I will be here with you." Sookie showed her around the bar. In truth, there wasn't much to show, just the main bar area, the staff room, and the stock room.

Crystal, true to her thoughts didn't ask any unnecessary questions. Within a couple of hours, Sookie was done, and she was grateful for it. She couldn't listen to any more of Crystal's thoughts.

* * *

"Miss Stackhouse, you look sensational." Godric breathed out. Sookie was dressed in a red backless number that hugged her curves to perfection. Her black patent heels complimented her dress well.

"Thank you." Sookie smiled. "You look pretty spiffy yourself. Godric was dressed in a navy blue suit without the tie.

"Shall we?" He opened the car door. A car he had Eric's dayman purchase that afternoon.

"Thank you." She got into the car with the grace expected from a southern lady. He vamped to the driver's side and got in.

"So you had to spend a few hours with a member of the FOTS." Godric chuckled.

"Please, do not remind me." She groused. "So where are we going?"

"Its a restaurant Eric owns, it welcomes all and caters for all," Godric answered. The rest of the drive was done in silence. Though with the way Godric drove, it didn't take long to get to their destination.

"Did you learn to drive on a rally circuit?" Sookie teased.

"No, it was just before the second world war. I was a rather reluctant learner. I rarely drive." He admitted.

"Why would you when you can fly." Sookie murmured as he opened the door to the restaurant.

"Table for two." Sookie dropped her shields as they were led to their table. Just about everybody minded their own business. That didn't surprise her, the humans who frequented the restaurant clearly knew the kind of environment it was.

Both her and Godric were given a menu. "There is a blood menu," Sookie asked surprised.

"Yes, every blood is different… for example, your blood would be so much sweeter than any human." Godric answered.

"Who decides a human blood taste of…" she looked at the menu. "Pineapple." Sookie laughed.

"Because the human ate nothing but pineapple for weeks." Sookie scrunched up her face in disgust.

"I like pineapple, but not that much."

"A lot of the time the human more than likely is already obsessed with that food in particular, now they make a lot of money from their obsession." Sookie nodded in understanding.

"If alcohol was on the menu, there are a few guys I could have introduced you to." Sookie quipped earning a laugh from Godric.

Godric ordered the pomegranates flavored blood, while Sookie ordered a steak with baby potatoes and roast vegetables.

"You know all about me and yet you are here with me," Godric whispered conspiratorially.

"I only what I read and I know what is written doesn't often tell the whole story," Sookie answered.

"My maker was a rather cruel vampire…"

"Appius." Sookie knew that much.

"Yes, I was young when the Romans invaded my village. I ended up been sold to Appius Livius Ocella. I didn't know cruelty until I ended up with him. I stayed human for three winters then he turned me. I was with him for a couple of centuries when someone saw him in Mesopotamia. A man heard his name and said he knew about his great-grandfather. Appius was something of a Roman hero when he was human, a legatus legionis. Appius naturally played along. A few months later we found ourselves back in Rome, and there was were Appius lost me.

Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi, was in Rome when we got there. She was there for me… I still don't know why. Appius and I knew she was a vampire, but no one else. She asked for me in exchange for what she had to tell them. Appius was incensed, but there was nothing he could do. He could either out himself and the rest of us, fight and die or release me. He released me completely, makers command and all. I went with Pythia stayed with her for millennia, even after all that time I was still an angry vampire… and I took that anger out on humans. By the time I saw Eric I had calmed down considerably. In fact, I had spent decades on my own in hiding. I rarely fed and or did anything else. When you feel that pull to a human there is no denying it. I felt him one night, and for the first time in decades, I ventured beyond the mouth of my cave. Then I saw him, I may not have have been killing humans or vampires indiscriminately, but I still had little to no respect for them and thought Eric that. I'm afraid I did him a real disservice in my teachings. I was very wrong about a lot of what I taught him.

By the time I learned I wasn't a monster or an abomination, as my maker wanted me to believe… I had already turned myself into one. The last hundred years my sins seem to have crept up on me to the extent that I was going to meet the sun." Godric drained his glass and looked up at Sookie who was listening without judgment.

"Are you are about to tell me the Oracle of Delphi told you my favorite drink," Sookie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I said no such thing." Godric teased.

"Uh huh," Sookie responded with a grin.

He stared at her in awe, especially when she asked about dessert. He had expected her to ask to leave after his story, but no she was there spending more time with him.


	5. Chapter 5

They held hands as they walked back to his car. If his heart could still beat, he was sure Sookie would hear it. Godric had never courted a lady or remotely considered it. He didn't know the ins and outs of courting. According to Pam, he was allowed to kiss her goodnight when he walked her to the door. Sex if it came, it did on the third date.

He was surprised to find he was actually nervous at his age. But then age had nothing to do with it. For the first time in his existence, someone had captivated him since Eric, and it wasn't about turning them. He had no qualms about giving her his blood. He hadn't given his blood to anyone since turning Eric.

"Did you have a good time?" He asked as they got to the car.

"I had a great time." She intoned. To his surprise, she stepped closer to him and kissed him softly.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he should have pulled away, but her magnetism was just too strong. At least that is what he would blame when asked. Her hands found his hair and drew him closer. He growled deep down in his chest as the kiss became heated. He could feel the softness of her lips, the sweetness of her skin. He could hear her heart beating against his. The rise and fall of her breathing made her ample breast swell against his chest. He could feel her nails on his scalp. Then like a whirlwind it hit, her sweet scent. He pulled away faster than she could comprehend.

"Sookie." He warned as she took a step closer. "Please, mask your scent." He pleaded. She shook her head slowly with a smile that sent a shiver down his spine. That was a sensation he didn't ever remember feeling.

"You are going to have to get used to it. I can't always keep it masked it requires concentration. I can't always concentrate. I didn't do it on purpose." He got her meaning. Her concentration had lapsed while they kissed.

"I see." He grumbled. He took a tentative step towards her and inhaled. "Zeus, have mercy." He moaned. His gums ached, and his fangs he knew had made an appearance something she found rather exciting. He heard the uptick in her breathing, the acceleration of her heartbeat, and the increase of her pulse.

"Godric." Her voice though barely above a whisper felt as though it traveled over the empty parking space. This time he stayed on the spot when she walked closer. "Take me back to your place." He didn't need to understand modern courting practices to know what that meant.

He wanted to beg her to mask her scent, but he knew it was unlikely. He held his breath the entire drive back to his house. It was apparent Sookie was enjoying his discomfort. "Can Eric feel you?" She asked as they arrived in his driveway.

"Yes, but I can shut off the bond if you require." She was human and had human sensibilities about sex. "You feel uncomfortable with the notion of him feeling my emotions during intercourse."

"I do." She blushed slightly. "And can you call it sex, hell I'd even take you calling it a fuck. Intercourse sounds like something my gran would have. Yeah, you are old and at times act like it, but you don't look like an old man, and I doubt you fuck like one.

"No, I don't." he laughed. "It has been a while so who knows."

"When you say a while…"

"Just over half a century." The last time he indulged, he had been with Eric during the Second World War when they were looking for the one responsible for his family's death.

"Wow," Sookie mumbled. "And I thought my twenty-five years was long."

"I suspected as much" Godric whispered. "Are you…" that was about all he managed before he felt her lips on his.

...

Eric felt Godric's anxiety, which was followed by a great sense of excitement and then fear. He had difficulty tracking all the various emotions that coursed through him for the better part of half an hour. Then he felt nothing; there was a feeling of acceptance and resignation then it was gone.

For two hours he waited, and when he still felt nothing through the bond, he decided to go and check on Godric. "He's on a date," Pam said as though it answered all his questions. "He doesn't want you sharing his emotions or worse feel yours while on a date. When the night is over, he will open the bond." She added. Her words made perfect sense, but it wasn't enough. He vamped out of Fangtasia and took off into the air. In truth it wasn't entirely about the closed bond, it was curiosity about his date with Sookie. He was still struggling to get over the fact that Godric got what he had wanted for so long and still wanted.

He landed in Godric's expansive backyard and went through the kitchen. That was when the smell hit him. His fangs dropped, and he inhaled deeply. It smelled like Sookie, but so much more. How had Godric not drained her? He knew he hadn't because he could hear them. He slowly moved through the house and up the stairs. The smell got so much more potent with every step. The noise of their fucking grew in his ears. He stopped outside the bedroom door, listening to Godric's low growl, Sookie's loud moans, and indiscernible words. He could time the rhythm of their movement as skin slapped against skin. His erection had made an appearance as he listened to them fucking. This was why Godric had closed the bond two hours ago.

Enraged, he vamped back down and out the backdoor to the far side of the backyard because outside of anger he barely felt any emotion. Right now, there was several coursing through him. Godric had thought him to ignore them, so he did. What did Godric do to earn himself her affections and a place in her bed or rather getting her into his bed?

 _The idea of taking her in a bed never occurred to you. You simply wanted to bend her over your desk and fuck her. The same desk you've had numerous fangbangers over. Is it any wonder she found you reprehensible?_

No, Godric had stared at her as though she was a wonder of the world and she had seen it. She had seen the way he admired every facet of her life. How he paid attention to every minutia of her very existence. Godric had proved himself worthy of her time. Godric understood her human sensibilities to things like sex while he had mocked them.

...

"Had I known you wanted to come here I would have been better prepared." Her blood still sung in his veins, as he watched her get dressed. He'd never felt so full, so free as did at that moment.

"I didn't know I was staying either." The blush she knew tinted her cheeks surprised her. She had just spent the better part of three hours begging this vampire to fuck her and bite her over and over again. How could she be blushing at the thought of her wanting him at the end of the date?

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I am happy you want me as much as I have wanted you." He felt no shame in his admission.

"I have always wanted you… I just don't like the politics that came with being with you." She said as he led her down the stairs. He knew that and meant everything he said. She will be kept out of it. There wasn't a monarch on earth that would ask for his fealty because he lived in their area. There have been two monarchs since he became sheriff of Texas and none dared to ask him to kneel in fealty. He could be the head of the authority if he so chose, but politics didn't appeal to him either.

"I will see you tonight." He said as he stared at her.

"You are staring." She whispered.

"I don't want to forget a single minute feature on your face."

"You are a vampire with perfect sight and recall you can't forget even if you wanted to." He knew that more than most. There was so much he would love to forget.

"You are right, but still."

"You are sweet." She teased. She placed her hands on his hips and pulled him forward, more he allowed himself to be pulled forward. "I do want you and if the last few hours wasn't any indication… this might help." The warmth of her lips on him made him breathless although breathing wasn't a requirement. Her tongue dueling with his drove him out of his mind. He held her against the wall as his mouth assaulted hers. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he lifted her without thought. With her dress around her waist and her bare sex rubbing against his erection the inevitable happened. Soon Godric was pounding into her again, and in no time she came hard her teeth clamped on his shoulder, breaking the skin.

"That wasn't meant to happen." He teased. "Shall I heal you?" He'd done that throughout the night as he was her first and she was quite sore after her first time.

"No, I like the physical reminder of our night. I will be fine by tonight."

"Are you sure?"

"Very." She sighed. "I will see you tonight." Before he could respond, she was gone. Her teleporting would take some getting used to.

He went back up to his room and grabbed a shirt. The room was saturated with her smell. He would go to his day death with a smile on his face for the first time in decades. That sense of trepidation he felt when he had first seen her, thinking he would not be able to have her was gone.

When he made his way back down, he found Eric in his living room. "I felt the bond closed." He said by way of explanation for his presence.

"I closed our bond for decades you did not come search for me then," Godric argued.

"No, but you've kept the bond opened since the night you arrived and with all the conflicting emotions before the bond closed I felt it best to come."

"As you can see I am well." The light-proof shutters engaged plunging the house into darkness for a few seconds before the night-lights came on.

"There is a guest bedroom at the end of the hall you can have that."

"Thank you, master." He said with a needless sigh. "I take it your night with Sookie went well." He just couldn't help himself.

"Why ask when you already know the answer?"

"I felt you briefly the night you came…" Godric had opened the bond briefly to warn Eric of his imminent arrival, but his progeny had collapsed in pain. Godric had lived with the pain for so long he had forgotten just how dilapidating it truly was. He had quickly closed it, but then tried again when he saw Sookie. Eric's lack of reaction told him that just the sight of Sookie had healed so much of the pain he no longer felt physically, but emotionally felt. "How is she able to take away your pain when no one and nothing else has. For so long I had feared you walking out into the sun and letting it take you." He looked away from Godric. "You came to say goodbye that night." Though phrased as a question it was a statement.

"I did because she asked me to." Eric's head shot up. He knew perfectly well who she was. "She knew the minute I stepped into that bar all thoughts of meeting the sun would fade at the sight of Sookie."

"You think she sent you because she saw Sookie in your future." Eric wanted to scoff at the notion, simply because the idea of the Ancient Pythoness sending her adopted progeny to meet Sookie was too immense.

Godric took a folded paper out of his pocket and gave it to Eric.

' _Try harder. Gin and Tonic.'_

Eric read the email in disbelief. "So that was how you knew her favorite drink." He whispered. He really didn't like what all this implied.

"Try harder?" He questioned.

"The night I asked her out she didn't give me a concrete answer. I was sure it was going to be no." Godric said with a chuckle taking back the paper. "I will see you tonight." He added getting up.

"Will you share?" Eric asked him. He knew he shouldn't have asked, after everything that Godric just revealed he shouldn't have asked.

"Sookie has worked for you for a year and a half… in that time I'm sure you made countless attempts to have her as another notch on your desk. And you have failed in that endeavor because she finds nothing appealing about you or your ways. You somehow expect me to subject her to you. You spent too much time on that throne of yours and have lost sight of the difference between a fangbanger and a lady. Sookie Stackhouse is a lady and one with a great deal of self-respect. I am not about to disrespect her by asking her to share her body with you." Godric was now in front of him. Though he towered over his maker, he felt small in his presence just then. "I do realize the past meant you could ask. This is your one and only." He warned.

"We are vampires… sex doesn't…"

"I am aware of what I am, I have been that for over three millennia and don't need a reminder. I am also aware that you are old enough and are no longer controlled by your baser instincts. You chose to fuck a fangbanger every night, and you do so because you can and not because of necessity. You want Sookie, not the other way round. When you want something, you adapt to get it. You knew what she was like and yet you made no effort to be what she wanted because you didn't think you had to." Godric shook his head walking away.


	6. Chapter 6

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." Jason teased as Sookie tried to make it to her room silently. "Wishing you teleported straight to your room, don't ya." He added with a shit eating grin.

"Oh, wipe that stupid smile off your face." She grumbled getting herself a cup of coffee.

"Now, here I thought my little sister would be gone for a couple of hours and be back home with her…"

"Stop it." She warned.

"You had so good a time you can't even wipe the smile of your face." He wasn't going to let this go, and she knew it.

"I'm going to bed…"

"Had a long night, don't blame you." He chuckled after her.

She knew Jase was happy for her, but it didn't mean he wouldn't result to his right as a big brother to tease her mercilessly. Despite the night's activities she was surprisingly energized and jumped into the shower before hitting the sack. She would later swear she was out before her head hit the pillow. Her dreams were pretty much a repeat of the night's activities mixed with a few strange things she would not remember upon waking up.

She was surprised by how late it was when she got up. "Usually she would be up for lunch, but today it was almost four when she finally opened her eyes. She made her way downstairs to find Gran in the kitchen. "You hungry, dear?"

"Could eat a horse." She felt very awake and alert. Godric had warned her about his blood, but this felt better than anything he described. For the first time in her life she was up and out of bed the minute her eyes were open. She had one hell of an appetite as well to boot. After a late lunch, she was looking for a book to keep her occupied when she remembered something Godric had said about feeling her emotions. Knowing he would be up, she picked up a particular book and disappeared into her room. She was determined to have as much fun with his blood in her as possible.

…

"Godric was heating up his meal when her lust barreled through him. He studiously tried avoiding the feeling, but a few minutes he realized it was no good. He vamped to his room, his meal forgotten and grabbed his phone. "Sookie, what are you doing?" He asked when she answered with an innocent hello.

"Killing time by doing a little reading." She said again sounding innocent.

"What are you reading?" He asked his erection prominent in his linen trousers.

"Nothing that would interest you."

"I doubt that very much."

"Why are you so interested?" She tried holding back her giggle.

"We both know why I'm interested. It is doing interesting things to you." He admitted.

"Godric I think your definition of interesting and mine vary greatly. Will my baby be flying me to work tonight?" She said so sweetly sugar thought it was too sweet.

"Your baby?"

"Yes, my baby."

"I'm a three thousand plus-year-old vampire." He argued.

"But you are still my baby."

"I will see you minutes after sundown Miss Stackhouse." He said before hanging up. She was going to be the death of him. Just as he thanked the gods for his waning erection, he felt her lust again. For the next hour, he was confined to his room dealing with the results of whatever book she was reading.

By the time he came back down he had showered and was ready to leave the minute the sun went down.

"I take it I will see you at Fangatasia later," Eric said as he heated up a blood bag.

"Yes, Sookie wants to fly, so I'm going to get her. Keep an eye on the new bartender tonight. Sookie said there was something off about her." Eric nodded. If Godric listened and even relayed the information, then there was merit to it.

…

Sookie, may I ask who did the renovation work on your property?" Godric needed work done on his property, and he liked the reinforced beams and walls he saw at the farmhouse.

"Herveaux and Sons." She answered.

"Oh, the wer…" Eric stopped short.

Sookie chuckled, as did Godric. "I am fully aware of the fact that Jackson is a were, and so is every one of his crew. The Longtooth pack, I believe."

"How long have you known?" Pamela asked surprised.

"As long as I've known about the existence of vampires. The human race has an uncanny ability to walk around with their head buried in the sand. Makes me believe the phrase 'knowledge is power' wasn't coined by a human. As much as I am one I do not bury my head in the sand. I acquire knowledge like it's my next breath. Every book, film, legend, myth that talks about vampires always talks about their archenemies the werewolves. The fact that no one seems to wonder if vampires are real, what else is out there… makes me ashamed of the human race." Godric stared at her with such pride and want it made Eric uncomfortable.

"Onto the reason we called you in here." Eric started. "Godric has confirmed that our new bartender is a member of the FOTS church in Dallas. Yes, I made it a point to catalog as many of their members as we could. She is an active member, loyal and devout."

"Yes, that is obvious." Sookie murmured.

"Obvious," Pam questioned.

"Yes, she is loyal and devout enough to work in a vampire establishment. I mean this isn't exactly a clothes store. Let' be honest, as vampire reputation goes this bar…" She stopped and cleared her throat. "Let's just say this isn't the kind of place a vampire hating zealot would be caught dead in. Yet she is devout enough to do so for her beliefs. Anything to end the pestilence." If she were alone with Godric, she would have added 'her words not mine.' "I better get back to work." Without thought, she gave Godric a rather long heated kiss before leaving.

"Her instincts are well tuned." Pam murmured.

"Indeed." Godric concurred.

"What exactly did she say made her suspicious of the girl?" Eric asked hoping in answering Godric would reveal something about Sookie's true nature. The short conversation with her had only increased his suspicions. Eric had noticed when she admitted knowing about weres, she admitted as long as she'd known the existence of vampires. Everyone knew about vampires when they came out of the coffin so to speak, but the way she phrased it had him very curious. He was sure Miss Stackhouse had known about vampires long before they made themselves known.

"The girl wasn't remotely inquisitive. Apart from asking about her job she asked about nothing else."

"Neither did Sookie," Eric argued.

"I believe in Sookie's case it might have had something to do with been spoken about in Swedish in less than flattering ways." Godric countered with a pointed stare at his progeny. Pam swallowed needlessly, and Eric shifted in his seat. "Anyway, as Pamela said her instincts are always spot on so I had no reason to question her suspicion." Godric stood to join Sookie when someone knocked.

"Come in." Eric grumbled his frustrations showing. Jason walked in looking less than his happy self.

"Detective, what can we do for you?" He must want something as Sookie was out there.

"Sheriff, the next time I come here and find someone else feeding or taking someone to the bathroom to feed I will shut you down." Jason sat in the seat Sookie had just vacated.

"Shit," Eric muttered. "I will admit I am having a problem curtailing that particular problem."

"Maybe, if they were led by example it will no longer be an issue," Jason muttered looking down at his feet.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Eric growled low.

"The reason you seem to have a such a problem with vampires feeding in Fangtasia is that they follow your example." Eric appeared confused. "They all look out for Pam, the minute she leaves the bar with one of the fangbangers and enters your office. The vampires in your area then feel its safe to take one into the bathroom." Godric took the words out of Jason's mouth.

"My office is a private space," Eric argued annoyed by the revelation.

"They don't care, you are the sheriff try leading by example… that is what the young detective means. You stop feeding in the club and so will they. Jason has only been to Fangtasia a handful of times, but he has noticed the pattern." Jason nodded in agreement. "I can only look the other way for so long. The only reason you haven't been shut down is that my sister works at the bar, but eventually, that will not stop me, and Sook will understand." He warned.

"I understand." Eric was furious at himself for missing the obvious. He's had a constant problem with vampires feeding despite the warnings and severe punishments. This year alone he had been issued with nine notices and fines. Two of those were for overcrowding the rest public feedings. If he got any more, the bar would be shut down.

Jason clapped and rubbed his hands together. "Now, on to more pleasant things. Someone tell me how the to get Thalia's attention." The question took all three vampires by surprise.

"Th… Thalia." Pam found herself stuttering. Vampires didn't stutter.

"You didn't think I came here for Sook, did you?" He looked at them with an eye roll.

"For the last year, I can't even get her to acknowledge me… well, except for tonight. She gave me a nod, and I was so surprised I didn't know what to do with myself." He admitted sheepishly. "This aint never happened to me before." They knew Jason Stackhouse didn't have any issues when it came to the opposite sex. Hell, the fangbangers in the club even gravitated towards him as they did the vampires. Even the female vampires weren't immune to his effects, except it seems the one he truly wanted.

"You got a nod…" Godric cleared his throat to hide his amusement. "I believe you are in with a chance as the humans say."

"You think so." Jason sat up then.

"Yes, why don't you go join your sister at the bar." Jason nodded. "Oh, do you have your throwing knife with you?" Jason's iron knife appeared as though out of thin air. He twirled it around so fast Pam had trouble keeping up with the speed.

"What you want with this?" He asked.

"I don't, but Thalia has a thing for blades and the men who know how to wield them." Jason's smile damn near lit up the room.

"Thanks, G." He practically ran out of the office.

"Sometimes I swear those two aren't human or at least not entirely." Eric was going to reward Pam with an entirely new wardrobe. She had said the very words he hadn't dared utter. "I mean can either of you do that thing he did with the blade. All I saw was a blur as the knife moved. He knocked out a vampire, he didn't just hit him, he broke his neck, knocked out a couple of molars as well. You can't tell me that is normal for a human. It's not like he is the size of one of those wrestlers on TV." She huffed after her rant. Eric looked at Godric hoping for a response, but annoyingly his maker just smiled. "I'm going to see if he manages to get Thalia's attention." Pam stood.

"I believe I would like to see that as well," Godric added. Even Eric whose frustration was getting the better of him due to Godric's silence regarding the siblings had to admit he wanted to see the detective in action as well.


	7. Chapter 7

"Thought you were working tonight," Sookie said as Jason took a seat at the far end of the bar.

"Nah, had a ton of paperwork, but I managed to get through them." He grumbled. If there was one thing Jason hated about the job, it was the amount of paperwork that went with every decision made or action taken.

"Good, want a beer?" She offered.

He shook his head. "I thought we'd spar a little tonight. I want to keep my wits about me.

"Oh sorry, I'm spending the weekend with Godric," Sookie answered with a slight blush.

"You gonna be sparring with him, ain't ya." He was feeling rather jealous. A couple of hours Godric spent with them while they trained had taught them a lot. He'd give his right arm to spend the weekend training with Godric. "Men, that sucks ass." He grumbled. He clocked Thalia walking through the bar and immediately remembered Godric's advise about his knife. Like magic, his knife appeared, and he started twirling it. Sookie had no idea why he would do that in public but shrugged and went back to wiping down the bar.

"What is going on?" Sookie asked as she noticed Godric at the bar staring in the direction of Jason who now had Thalia for company.

"Your brother is trying to earn Thalia's affections," Godric said with a smile.

"Of all the women, vampire or human on God's planet... he chooses the one that could rip him in half if he so much as puts a foot wrong."

"It would appear so." Godric chuckled. "Did I hear you plan on spending the weekend with me." He was positively beaming. He had seen her bag when he picked her up but hadn't dared hope.

"I hope you like that plan." She asked as her tongue snaked out and licked her lips absentmindedly.

"I'm looking forward to your company. Although had I known I would have stocked the kitchen and fridge."

"I can get a pizza for tonight and then shop tomorrow while you are at rest."

"Okay, as long as you are happy with that, so am I."

' _She can't be possibly dating a vamp... such a beautiful girl what the hell is she doing dating a vamp. Here I thought I'd give a few days and try talking to her about the church, only to find she is sleeping with a bloodsucker. She and that brother of hers need to be saved before it's too late.'_

Godric could tell something had upset Sookie and when she turned her cold glare on Crystal, the new bartender, he understood. "Do you want to take your break now?"

"That is a brilliant idea." She threw the cloth down and stomped out without so much as a word to Crystal or Longshadow.

"I need to be saved... that bigoted pee brained southern hick thinks I need to be saved. Who the fuck does she think she is?" Godric tried to stamp down on the excitement he felt from her ranting. She looked positively angry... but she had never looked more enticing.

He looked up to find her glaring at him. He cleared his throat. "She is not worth your ire." He said softly.

"You didn't hear a word I said, did you?" She looked at him knowingly.

"I..."

"We both know I'm talking about Crystal..." The name was uttered with disdain. "But not a word I said." No, he didn't.

"I didn't think this was a conversation." He argued. He was a three thousand plus-year-old vampire. His name struck fear in all vampires, and yet he was terrified of a twenty-something-year-old woman.

"Really... I didn't realize I was talking to myself." Sookie retorted.

"I... you looked incredibly... sexy..." the word sounded foreign on his tongue. "...in your anger. I lost all coherent thought as I watched the blood rush to your face..."

She was surprised he hadn't clocked on to the fact that she was milking his discomfort. She was thoroughly amused, but somehow he was so flustered he hadn't picked up on her emotions. She was far from angry with him for not listening. From the bulge in his jeans, she knew exactly where his mind had wandered. It didn't matter how old men were, if it was sexy, they would react physically. Sookie leaned back against Eric's Corvette crossing her arms. She watched as Godric stood there at a loss for words looking distinctly lost.

Back in the bar, Jason was too busy glaring at Crystal to focus on impressing Thalia. He knew his sister heard something from the bigoted mind of the bartender to have her storming off as she did after her less than friendly stare. Though he wasn't focused on the knife, he continued to move it between his fingers at increasing speed. "I can train with you... I am very proficient with every weapon except for guns. I do not like ammunition, it does not require that much skill to master." Thalia offered.

"Don't let a sniper hear you say hitting a target at two and a half thousands yards away doesn't require skill." Jason chuckled.

"That is the exception." She conceded.

"I will take you up on the training offer." Jason smiled his attention now entirely back on Thalia. Now he just had to figure out how to go from training to his bedroom.

"What weapons are you proficient in?" Thalia asked surprising Jason as he thought the conversation was over.

"I like blades, I'm pretty good with blades. I've got a good throwing arm. Arm to arm combat... I've got that down, but I'm sure I could be faster, more accurate with my punches, be more precise in my movement... I'd expend less energy with little-wasted moves. I'm a pretty good shot, although that did not take as much time to learn." He added with a chuckle. "There is always room for improvement." Thalia liked his thinking. Even after two thousand years, there were areas she could improve on. Humans who thought they were good at something so much so further education wasn't required always perplexed her. This one was proving to be full of surprises. Then again he wasn't entirely human she had noted.

Sookie and Godric walking back in, Sookie looked amused about something, and Godric looked as though someone had kicked his puppy. "Godric, you alright, you look a little..."

"I believe I have angered your sister." He whispered as though Sookie could hear him over the cacophony in the bar.

"Okay..." Jason responded in a drawl. "What did you do?" He knew from the look on Sookie's face she didn't think Godric had pissed her off.

"The new bartender angered her, and I believe I should have been listening while she was ranting and raving..." Jason threw his head back in laughter.

"Nah, you ain't in trouble... well not today anyway."

"I don't understand." Godric was indeed perplexed.

"Man, you know nothing about the fairer sex, do you?" That realization surprised Jason. "Sookie was ranting and raving and instead of listening you got all hot and bothered by the display." Godric actually looked sheepish.

"I did. Sookie looked enchanting in her anger." He admitted.

"Yeah, when a woman is mad, and it ain't at you, they look sexy as fuck since it ain't aimed at you. No man and I mean no man behaves any different than you did. She ain't really mad. I mean she is all ranting and raving, and you think she is sexy... why will she be mad at you?"

"She really was mad." Godric reiterated.

"Nah, she's just pretending to be mad. She ain't, but she's going to pretend to be so she can use it against you another time."

"I feel bewildered," Godric said with a needless sigh.

"Okay, listen." Jason sat up straight. "You might have pissed her off for a sec or two, but she probably took one look at you, and her anger waned. Thing is a woman always knows she might one day ask you for something she knows she ain't 'pose to. You going to say no and she will bring it up just to guilt you into giving her whatever she's asking for."

"I see." Godric nodded. "I was too flustered to check what I was feeling from her. Had I done that I would have figured out she was more amused by it than angry. She still amused by the whole thing." He added shaking his head with a chuckle. The girl threw him off in every way, not that he was complaining.

"Yeah, except when she decides to use it against you..."

"Let her." Godric finished.

"You catching on." Jason patted his back as he walked away.

"And how exactly can she use it against him?" Thalia asked.

Jason was about to answer when something occurred to him. She might just use that information against him if things worked out the way he was hoping for. "You know... I don't rightly know." He avoided looking at her

"We both know you are lying." She whispered, her lips touching the shell of his ear. She smirked at the shudder that went through him. She might be a feared warrior, but she was first a woman. She might not know the wiles and games the human women used to get their men, but she knew how to get a man. Hell, most of the time they came to her tongues hanging out as though they were dogs. As much as Jason had shown interest, he was respectful about it and didn't hound her in the least. Patience truly had its rewards.

* * *

Godric had arranged food to be delivered to the house by Eric's day man in the morning while he waited for Sookie to finish. "Do you plan on turning her in the near future?" Eric asked.

"No." Was Godric's simple answer much to Eric's frustration. He was hoping Godric answer would yield some much-needed information. The Stackhouse's made no effort to hide their otherness and yet he still was none the wiser about what exactly it was.

"I don't need to tell you what will happen when she dies." Eric voice actually showed a great deal of concern for his maker.

"It is not an issue." Before Eric could show his frustration, Sookie walked into the office.

"Ready to go?" Godric asked with a radiant smile. The idea of Sookie spending the weekend with him had delighted him greatly.

"What do you mean by it's not an issue?" Eric bellowed.

"Exactly that... it's not an issue." Godric answered in a bored tone.

"She is the sole reason you still exist, and I'm supposed to be okay with her dying. Don't think I don't smell your blood in her." Godric looked ready to rip an appendage of Eric until Sookie stepped in.

"Whatever gave you the idea I was mortal in the first place?" Eric was for once lost for words. For the first time in nearly two years, Sookie had in a way admitted she wasn't entirely human.

"Does that answer your question?" Godric tone was a warning. _Shut up._

"I believe you are taking me for pizza." Sookie teased.

"Indeed I am." Godric's furious expression faded in a split second at the sound of her voice. "Lead the way." He said following her out of the office before he did something to his childe he might later regret.

"You can just tell him," Sookie said as they waited for her pizza.

"It is not my story to tell and what business is it of his?" Sookie nodded seeing his point. If she wanted Eric to know she would have told him. "What would you like to do this weekend?" His smile lit up his face. "What would you be doing if you were at the farmhouse?" He added.

"Catch up on my reading." She said with a smirk.

"What are you reading?" He knew her answer was going to be interesting.

"The Twilight series." She chuckled when he wrinkled his nose.

"Pam, I believe is reading it as well. I read a few pages, and I will admit it is rather far removed from the truth." He said with a snort.

"Oh, I don't know... I just think you guys are jealous." She teased as she took her pizza with a smile.

"Of what." Godric almost bellowed.

"Of the fact they are near indestructible. I mean... they are not affected by silver... a stake would break on their skin and not even pierce the surface. They can walk around in the daylight as long as there isn't direct sunlight." Godric had to admit he was jealous of some of those attributes. Their weakened state during the daylight hours was particularly annoying. Though he didn't succumb as easily as young vampires, he was still locked in a sun tight room, or he'd burn. "Above all else, they have the Volturi. I mean your leaders are not feared, not as much as the Volturi are in the books."

"I have to read the book to argue your point." He said.

"I need to eat and shower. I'm sure you'd be done by then with your speed."

"I too have to shower and eat." He argued feebly.

"Godric, I have absolutely no problem using sex to get my way if you want me to play that game, I will." She threatened as they landed on in his back garden.

"I will read it." He conceded.

"Good." She murmured before sauntering towards the kitchen. It was going to be an exciting night. He thought as he followed her into the kitchen.

"You are not reading." She warned looking at him over her shoulder.

He sped off. "Now I am." He called out earning a chuckle from her.

AN: Sorry for the delay. One medical issue after another has left little time to do anything, much more writing.


	8. Chapter 8

Godric's reading had slowed down considerably during the last pages of the last book. Sookie was doing her best not to smirk at him or mutter I told you so. "You know I can feel your smugness even if your facial features don't show it. " Godric muttered as he shut the book a little too forcefully. He couldn't believe Sookie actually had the books with her, she apparently had it for when he was asleep during the day. She didn't like it when he called it day death, so it was asleep.

"It's not smugness, it's just when you are right... you are right." Godric frowned, and she couldn't help but think he looked incredibly cute. "Baby, it's fiction." Sookie tried in a vain attempt to placate her sulking boyfriend.

"But it doesn't stop you from comparing real-life vampires to fictional ones aimed at teens." He said doubling down on his sulking.

"I doubt those books would be as popular as they are if they had been accurate to you," Sookie admitted.

"No, I don't see that happening. I will admit the Authority could learn a thing or two from the Volturi. You are right... they are not feared." He was more feared than the Authority. Russell Edgington, despite his eccentricities, was more feared than the Authority. In their world with age, came power and the members that made up the Authority were children in his eyes.

"Baby, stop pouting." He crossed his arms not realizing it was a sign he was far from capitulating. "You know for a vampire who knows nothing about the dating game... you really have the whole pout until my girlfriend says and does whatever I want so I no longer pout down to a science." Sookie straddled his lap, and he fought back the pleasured growl working its way out of his throat. "Baby, I was just teasing." She nuzzled his neck. Any other time he would have shown his surprise at not knowing his behavior would get her to do anything. But as it stood he'd be a fool not to milk it for all it was worth.

"Well, this vampire can't help but feel a little hurt that you consider him weak compared to vampires in teen-aimed books.

"I believe they are called young adults."

"Sure." The pout got poutier. Sookie wondered if poutier was even a word.

"Will you be less hurt if I sucked your cock and fondled your balls." There was no hiding his shock this time. "I might have human sensibilities about sex, but I'm no prude. Hard to be when you have Jason Stackhouse as a brother growing up."

"You can hear your brother's thoughts?" For some reason, he thought Jason's mind would be shielded.

"Yes, just as I can't completely shut out his influence. We can work on it and block each other, but we find it's more prudent to allow it. It allows silent communication. I can hear his thoughts, and he can feel my emotions somewhat to gauge how I feel about a certain situation. Certainly has come in handy in the past."

"Interesting." Godric murmured. "Do you two train because of vampires?"

"Yes, but for one vampire hybrid in particular."

"Warlow," Godric growled.

"Yes, the dairies warned that the realm Warlow was banished to wouldn't hold him forever. Any number of things could aide his escape, and he will come after me." Sookie sighed and stood. "I want to think of more pleasant things. Now about the offer I made earlier." She teased as though her teasing him earlier with fictional characters hadn't gotten her into trouble.

* * *

Jason had been a restless mess since he woke up. He had spent most of the previous night talking to Thalia; the conversation had carried on after Fangtasia closed. She had left him just before dawn and the temptation to offer her his basement room had been overwhelming. Despite waking up late, it wasn't late enough as there was still two hours of daylight left before Thalia could make her way over to his. He had spent most of it cleaning up the already spotless basement bedroom. He was getting her to stay if it was the last thing he did. He looked around the room and nodded to himself. He still had half an hour to go and decided to shower even though he was going to be working out and maybe rolling around on the floor. It had been so long since he'd gotten laid his cock and balls were threatening to beat him up if they didn't get any soon. The problem was since he laid eyes on Thalia no one else appealed to him. He was just throwing on his vest when he heard her. Due to his ability with air, he could also detect any small changes in the atmosphere around his house.

Thalia on her end smiled when she detected his elevated heartbeat and uptick in his breathing. She found she liked the way he reacted to her presence. Usually, things of that nature only served to annoy her, but his was welcome, and very much so. She knocked lightly and wasn't surprised when it was yanked open within seconds. She took in his appearance just as much as he took in hers. She was in black pants that were a little tight fitting around her and a black vest to match, in fact, her vest matched the green one he was wearing.

"Let me grab some stuff we can spar out back. It's real private, and we shouldn't attract any attention." Jason quickly grabbed a duffel bag and met her outside. If she came in and shut the door behind her his cock would be jonsing for a different kind of workout.

He dropped his duffel bag and pulled out a sword, Thalia had brought her own, and that did not surprise him. He stretched quickly and swing his sword around warming up.

"You drop your left shoulder every time you are about to lunge low." Fuck, Godric had already told him that.

"Okay." Now he just had to figure how to use that to his advantage.

"Again." She called out and attacked. So far he had constantly found himself on the back foot defending. Thalia's speed was proving to be nothing he had ever come across. She did say her speed was unprecedented for even a vampire her age. Once again her blade was at his throat. "Now, let's see what you are capable of when you use your abilities." He looked at her in disbelief.

"You knew the entire time, and you had me fighting you with just my human capabilities." Oh, that annoyed him. If he wasn't fighting a sup that would be fair, but a two-thousand-year-old vamp. She simply shrugged in response.

"I see." Jason groused. Thalia felt the air around her change, and before she could think about it, he was moving with a speed that almost matched hers. Sky clan, she realized as the air about her ebbed and flowed in a way she had never encountered. For someone mostly human he packed a lot of power. Now it was a fight, he gave as good as he got. Defending and attacking as much as she did, and then his shoulder dropped and she chuckled.

Jason although pissed knew it was an emotion that would not serve him well, so he swallowed his annoyance and focused on besting her. He saw an opening and was about to lunge when he realized he had dropped his shoulder. Instead of lunging low on her inside right, as he would have done, he went high on her left. For the first time that night he found his sword at her neck.

"Clever use of a disadvantage." She praised. "You are surprisingly better when using the air. You'd be even more formidable if you could fight just as well without it. Yes, you will not have the speed, but even without it you would surprise a lot of vampires."

"Okay, let's do that."

Jason was surprised to find the hours flew by while he trained with Thalia, and he still hadn't managed to find a way to make her stay. With that on his mind, he was making silly mistakes he hadn't made in years. Yet somehow one of those mistakes paid off when Thalia ended up cutting his left bicep deeply. "Fuck my life." He groaned as his blood dripped down his arm. "Could you." He presented his injured bicep to her. "I know your saliva will seal the wound." He added with a shrug. If Thalia hadn't been so focused on the sweet smell of his blood, she would have seen the triumphant look he wore as she leaned closer and licked the blood running down his arm and the wound clean.

Now it was Thalia who was distracted as they trained so much so, she now found Jason at her back with his sword at her throat. "You get a little part fairy blood in you and all of a sudden you can't remember a damn thing about fighting with a sword." Jason teased. "Maybe I should get you a gun." He added with a chuckle as Thalia growled. He held her around the waist, though she could easily get away from him, she didn't want to. "Do you want more... do you want to sink your teeth into my neck... how about the femoral artery?" Taunting a vampire with your blood was about the most single stupidest thing anyone could do, yet he was doing just that.

With a growl, Thalia spanned out of his arms and faced him. The next second he was on the floor, and she was on top of him, she crushed her lips against his.

 _'Finally_.' He thought.

* * *

Sookie reluctantly cracked an eye open to find Godric staring at her amusingly. "It says a lot when the one unable to stay awake during the day is awake before the one that doesn't require sleep." Godric teased.

"I was kept awake all night by the one who is active at night and well past dawn." They had trained for most of the previous night and the night before, well she hadn't slept much placating her pouting boyfriend well past dawn. She retorted stretching her body little realizing the effect she was having on Godric.

"Shit, I need to call Jase." She said leaping out of bed. He had spent the night training with Thalia as well, at least she hoped that is what they had been doing.

"I'm sure your brother is still alive... in what state..." He chuckled as he heard a tired and weak hello on the other end of the phone.

"Jase, are you alright?" Sookie asked trying not to chuckle at the satisfied sigh that greeted her ears.

"Yeah Sook, I'm good... a little tired..." he was quickly interrupted.

"Then I suggest you find a way to regain your energy quickly because as soon as the sun goes down, we are back to training." Thalia practically purred.

"Talk to you later, Jase." Sookie hanged up quickly. "I have a feeling their idea of training and mine differ greatly."

"You just might be right." Godric laughed at her scandalized look. "Now, how about we get on with your training." He asked settling back down.

"I'm going to grab something to eat and then we can start." Sookie was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. When it came to her training, she was just as enthused about it as Jason was. Of course, that hasn't always been the case. An incident in New Orleans a few years ago made her very grateful to have learned what she learned even if she'd done so begrudgingly.

Godric grimaced at the taste of his true blood. "That is foul." He moaned. "It must be off." Sookie took the bottle from him and checked the sell-by date.

"No, it's well in date." She showed him the date on the bottle.

"That's odd... I have never had an issue with the taste before. All of a sudden, it tastes rather unpleasant. I wonder why?" He murmured looking up at Sookie, and then it hit him. Of course, for the past few nights, the only blood he'd ingested was Sookie's. The other night she had distracted him with whatever book she was reading, and he had abandoned his drink then. Just before he had that foul stuff from the bottle, the taste of Sookie's blood had been on his tongue. He just had to give it a few hours and then try again. Hopefully, the bottled stuff wouldn't be too bad then. "I believe your blood has awakened my taste buds." She chuckled and nodded in understanding.

"I am surprised your brother carries a knife made mostly of iron instead of silver," Godric said as they strolled to his backyard.

"Actually, we carry a silver weapon as well. I find it more effective than a knife." With a smile, Sookie dropped a long silver chain down. Godric stared in awe, a second ago that chain had been a non-descript beaded bracelet around her wrist. Something he had dismissed as a fashion trend as her brother had the same bracelet around his wrist.

"That is impressive. I believe that is Fairy weaponry." Sookie nodded.

"Part of the treasure throve we found along with the journals"

"How does it work?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Obviously, I do not mean for you to demonstrate it on me." He quipped.

She laughed. "I should think not." She took a fighting stance, the silver chain in an outstretched position, using the centrifugal force keeping the chain extended. Godric knew she was warming up. Then she started alternating which side of her body the chain swang, followed by underarm swings. Then she started moving, using arm swings, neck swings. At one point she doubled the chain and started using it as a nunchaku. She ended her demonstration by wrapping the chain around one of the small branches and pulled. The branch came off with ease. Had that been a vampire's neck they'd be truly dead.

"Would you believe we learned all this from the journals and watching kung fu movies." She swung the chain towards him in a teasing manner, although he knew it he jumped back still looking at her in awe. "I have beaten myself up more times with this thing than anybody else." She added with a laugh.

"But you have used it. You have ended a vampire's existence with it." Godric surmised.

"Yes." She sat down on the grass and crossed her legs. He joined her. "My friend, Lafayette won a weeks trip for four to New Orleans a couple of years ago. It was Mardi Gras and so myself, Jason and his cousin Tara all piled into Jason's truck and headed for New Orleans. Lala decided we were driving because he was saving some money from his win so instead of flying we drove, not that we cared, mind you. It was the second day that I noticed we had a vampire on our tail. At some point he clearly realized Jase and I had seen him and was on the lookout for him, so he disappeared. The next time I saw him I was on my own in an alleyway... well, not entirely on my own as Tara was further down the alley puking her guts out from some concoction she drunk.

He tried glamouring me to go with him. He wanted me to tell Jase and my friends that I wasn't feeling well and was headed back to the hotel. I had no idea what a glamour was supposed to feel like, though I had read about it in the journals. I could feel a slight pressure on my brain and surmised he was trying to glamour me. I went with it, and then the idiot turned his back on me... I separated his head from the rest of him. Jason came out just as his head hit the ground, he could tell something was wrong with me."

"Your ability to be in tune with each other," Godric stated.

"Yes." Sookie turned her attention fully on him. "It was our first encounter with a vampire. It's one thing to read about something, but it's an entirely different thing to come across one."

"And one with nefarious intentions at that." Godric finished. "He would have drained you... there would have been no way he would have stopped himself once he tasted your blood."

"Something I'm now very aware off since working at Fangtasia. Hell, Eric and Pam less than flattering conversation about me included how good I smelled." Godric growled at that. "Even masking my scent I still have the vampires at the bar occasionally taking a sniff." She smirked at that.

"Your smell is intoxicating and your blood even more so. So much so I can't even drink the bottled stuff anymore." He actually looked put out by that. She threw her head back in laughter.


	9. Chapter 9

"Godric, should I warm up a bottle for you?" Adele asked as she always did when he stayed.

"Thank you, Adele." He sat in the kitchen as she got a bottle from the fridge and moved to the microwave. He had to admit it was nice not been stuck in the basement when he woke from his day death. Two months ago Adele had asked him to have the downstairs area and the window in the upstairs hallways made light tight to enable him to move about the farmhouse freely when he stayed with Sookie. He had turned down the offer at first, but soon relented when she insisted. The woman knew how to get her way just like her granddaughter.

"There you go." It was the best time for him to drink that foul concoction, as Sookie's blood hadn't been on his tongue for a couple of days. Due to his age, he didn't need to feed that much, and with Sookie's blood even less so.

"Thank you." He took a sip of the bottled blood and tried his best not to grimace. He and Thalia found themselves in the same boat. She had given up drinking the bottled blood altogether. She had got bagged blood from the hospitals and clinics. Maybe, he should start looking into that.

"I believe someone has moved into the old Compton place." After six months of courting Sookie, he had not only developed a routine with her, but with her family as well. This was one of them. The days Sookie had to go to campus, he usually spent a few hours with Adele talking about anything and everything. He knew more about Bon Temps, and it's residence than his childe, the sheriff.

"I was under the impression he had no living relatives left," Godric said as he took another sip of the blood.

"So was I. Maybe someone bought the property." Adele surmised.

"I will do a little snooping when the sun goes down. " He said with a smirk earning a chuckle from Adele.

"The front door opened and Jason came in followed by Sookie. "There is a clapped out car out in front of the Compton place. Looks like someone is moving in."

"Yes, we were just talking about that," Godric informed them.

"It's a vampire," Sookie added as though it was an everyday occurrence.

"Oh, how interesting." Adele cheered.

"I can feel the void from here... feels like it's a young one as well." Sookie continued control over her telepathy gave way to more complex methods for determining which void belonged to which vampire. Sookie could tell which vampire glamoured whom as long as she saw them glamouring someone she could hone in on their signature.

"I know a Compton... William Compton, he is the queen of Louisiana's procurer. So I doubt it's him." Godric knew all about Sophie- Anne and her love for all things unique. He made it a point to learn all about her when it became apparent he was settling down in her territory. She was well aware of Godric living in Shreveport but had not made a move to get him to visit her court, and he knew she wouldn't.

"Wait, ain't there a grave for a William Compton... 'pose to have died during the civil war," Jason asked.

"There is... oh, I do hope it's him. I wonder if I can get him to come and give a talk at the meeting." The others rolled their eyes at the comment.

"I will express caution. If this Compton is the same as the queens... then he is here on a mission." Godric knew more about the ins and outs of that court than Eric, and that was saying something. Five months ago when Eric informed him the queen had issued a welcome to her territory and nothing else, he set about planting a spy in her court and an excellent one at that.

"Understood," Jason said as the others nodded.

That night when the sun went down Godric took to the sky around the old Compton place. He stayed out of sight and watched the house until Bill Compton appeared. Godric growled low when he realized Compton was exactly who he had feared it would be. He watched as Bill headed to Merlotte's.

* * *

Bill Compton believed he had seen the last of Bon Temps the better part of a century ago, but now he was back to procure a telepath for the queen. At least he had to first find out if it was indeed true she was a telepath. He headed for Merlotte's where she worked as a waitress. He had to admit, if she were a telepath, then a waitressing job would be a rather easy one for her to have.

In truth, he'd been in Bon Temps a couple of days, and he had to yet set eyes on Sookie Stackhouse. He was hoping to find someone to glamour who could answer his questions.

The bar stunk to high heaven of stale beer, grease, disgusting food, and human sweat. He was going to have to be quick about his enquires, or he'd be the first vampire in history to throw up. He found a booth and sat down waiting for a waitress. Hopefully, the Stackhouse girl would be the one to serve him. Instead, he got a redhead. "Hello, what can I get you?" He asked with a smile.

"True blood." He asked unsure he would get one.

"Sure, what type you want?" Arlene practically chirped.

"Whatever you have," Bill answered and then chanced his luck. "Is Sookie working today?" Arlene turned and chuckled at the question.

"Sookie ain't worked here for a couple of years. Surprised you'd ask considering she works down at the vampire bar in Shreveport." That took Bill by surprise.

"I had no idea... I'm new in town. She's my neighbor. Name's Bill Compton." He introduced with a smile.

"Well hello, Bill, I'm Arlene. Yeah, Sook works down at Fangtasia most nights." She told him with a smile.

"Thank you." Bill wondered if the sheriff knew about her abilities and was keeping her for himself, or if it was all one big lie by Hadley. The latter seemed more plausible to him.

He took his bottled blood knocked it back and swiftly left the bar. It was time for him to check in.

Godric could have saved himself and Sookie the hassle by snapping Compton's neck in a heartbeat. No one would be none the wiser. He'd glamour the bar to make sure no one saw him, clear out the house and have the siblings do their magic with the air, getting rid of Compton's scent. N0 sooner had the thought arrive did he dismiss it, that wasn't him anymore.

"Godric, what you doing out here?" Arlene smiled at the vampire.

"Just out for a run and found myself here." He smiled back.

"Hey, just met Sook's new neighbor... he's a rather charming vampire. Nowhere near as charming as you, mind you."

"As if anyone can beat this." He teased. He was getting more used to modern terms now that he spent a great deal of time around humans. "Haven't met him yet, but I'm sure I will soon enough. See you later Arlene."

"You too, Godric." Arlene had shown her obvious prejudice upon first meeting Godric months ago. That all changed when he spotted the cross she was wearing and commented about having met Jesus. He regaled the bar, as Sookie liked to call it, with his story. He told them about their talks, how Jesus had known exactly what he was upon their meeting in an inn in Damascus. How he tried to get Godric to believe he wasn't a monster unless he chose to be one. By the time he was done the town was practically eating out of his hands. The fact he had not only met Jesus but was on friendly terms with him had done away with a lot of their prejudice and what they thought they knew. He will admit he embellished the story a little.

A lot who understood the Fellowship of the Sun's position had changed their views after his story. In truth, Jesus was all about acceptance, and one thing the devil cannot do is create, he can cause a deal great of destruction but cannot create. That notion that stuck with a lot them, if the devil cannot create then how could he be responsible for vampires. It was a notion Godric himself had rejected because at the time he knew nothing of the Christian God or his son. It had been years later before he learned who Jesus was.

Of course, not everyone liked him even after that story. Arlene's fiancé still did not like Godric or the fact that he was with Sookie. He wasn't obvious about it, but Godric could tell. Sookie also commented on how he didn't have a Cajun accent when it came to his thoughts. With Sookie not been around Rene that much she didn't have that much time to read his thoughts. There was something about him that put Godric on edge.

With a needless sigh he headed back to the farmhouse, he didn't have to follow Compton to Fangtasia as Sookie was not working that evening. He had the distinct feeling Compton would show up at the farmhouse when he didn't find her at the bar.

* * *

"So," Jason asked a little too enthusiastically the minute Godric was through the door.

"It's the queen's procurer... and he's here for Sookie. I believe someone knows about your gifts and has made the queen aware."

"What do we do?" Adele asked.

"Truthfully, I'm at a loss." In the past, he would simply have ended Compton and be done with it. That thought kept coming back to him more and more.

"I say we have a little fun with the procurer." Yeah, that would be Jason. "Let's be honest the queen isn't still going to come after Sookie once she realizes she's with Godric." He added.

"We are not fully bonded," Godric said knowing the rules.

"Then get on with it," Adele muttered.

They had one more exchange before they'd be fully bonded. The night of their second bond had been a wonderful and joyous occasion, even counting Sookie hitting him with her light for keeping a small piece of information from her. He had neglected to tell her that during sex he felt his own pleasure and hers through the bond. He, in truth, thought it was a conclusion she had come to herself considering she took great pleasure in using the fact that he could feel her emotions against him. After only their second bond Sookie could now feel his emotions as well, although it wasn't as strong as his. The final exchange would even the _playing_ field.

Vampire blood they had discovered also increased their Fairy powers a great deal.

"We will," Sookie answered barely looking at any of them. The front door opened and Thalia emerged. Sookie looked relieved to have the spotlight off her earning a smirk from Godric. He was well aware of his future bonded plans to have the final exchange in a more romantic setting. They thought a weekend in New Orleans would be more than perfect. Now more than ever Godric agreed with that plan. It would also be the perfect opportunity to introduce his bonded to the vampires in the area, some he had known for centuries. News he knew would surely get back to the queen.

"Your emotions are all over the place... what happened." Thalia rushed towards Jason looking him over.

"Your queen sent Compton to come for Sookie." Thalia looked around hoping it was some kind of joke.

"Has she got a death wish?" She growled.

"Now, Thalia... she doesn't know Sookie is almost bonded to Godric. I'm sure the minute Compton finds out he will be gone." Adele said. Though it was what any sane being, human or sup would do, Sophie- Anne wasn't known to be rational when it came to getting what she wanted. There was no way she was going to let a telepath of all things out of her grasp.

"Adele, I'm afraid the queen doesn't think like that," Godric answered looking over at Sookie. She was his sole reason for being and to think someone wanted to take her away from him was unfathomable. He'd promised her he would keep her out of vampire politics and it was a promise he intended to keep. He'd give Sophie- Anne a chance; one he hoped she would take.


	10. Chapter 10

The only thing that made working in Fangtasia bearable for Sookie was Godric's presence. Eric Northman's obsession with her, after all this time, was well and truly alive and the only reason she knew that was through Yvetta's thoughts. At the bar, he all but ignored Sookie unless it had to do with the job, and even then Pam dealt with her. Sookie without her telepathy would have bought Eric's act, but Yvetta's thoughts was giving away his game. It seemed he was biding his time waiting for the perfect opportunity, for what Sookie didn't know. Eric was well aware Sookie was the sole reason Godric still existed, so she honestly doubted Eric was waiting to get her at the cost of his maker's existence.

Then there was Yvetta herself who hated Sookie with a passion. Sookie knew it was because of Eric's obsession with her. Yvetta had apparently been hoping for some genuine affection from the sheriff, but now knew he was merely using her. The night Sookie had read that Eric had moaned her name when he came had her bolting out of the bar before she threw up all over Crystal, not that it would have been a bad idea. Her name leaving his lips wasn't what had sent her bolting it was the things he had done to Yvetta while wishing it was her that did it.

Godric had been incensed to learn the reason for her hasty departure, that night he had whisked her home much to Eric's consternation and anger.

Then there was Crystal, oh her thoughts were progressively getting worse.

She hadn't really seen any form of debauchery, except vampires having fun with the humans who clearly wanted to be around them. The more she saw each night, the more confusing her thoughts became. She found it difficult to reconcile what her church had told her and what she was witnessing. Despite months of realizing she may have been lied to, she still couldn't let go of her beliefs. Things had taken a turn for the worse when Jason mentioned Godric's friendship with Jesus; the news nearly drove Crystal crazy.

Of course, Crystal told her church of the new discovery and had promptly been told it was a lie. Crystal spent weeks questioning why anybody would lie about something like that. She was driving herself crazy with her own contradictions and questions and in turn getting on Sookie's last nerve.

Now, she had to contend with Bill Compton. The minute he witnessed her little trick with the human customers he would have his answer. He hadn't shown up at the farmhouse; clearly, he wanted to only make an effort when he was sure she was a telepath. She had been extremely reluctant to come to work that evening, but Godric had talked her into coming, well more fucked her into agreeing.

"Hey Sook, you look like you'd rather be anywhere else," Brenda said with a chuckle.

"That's because I'd rather be home sleeping." She groaned. "My brother and his friends kept me up all day." And just as she was drifting off to sleep, Godric woke up. Jason was spending a great deal of time with Hoyt, Rene and some of the guys from the road crew. All because Godric and Sookie had some concerns about Rene. Jason had also said Arlene had complained about his recent behavior in the last few months. It was obvious Arlene's change of heart about vampires had upset Rene. When he had expressed his distaste at Sookie working at Fangtasia. Jason had reminded him Sookie took the job in order to fix up the farmhouse. Sookie knew that meant nothing to Rene. Of course, Jason's relationship with Thalia was only known among herself, Godric and Adele. In fact outside of a few words exchanged among the two they didn't spend all that much time together at the bar. It helped that when Thalia was there, she was working. Evidenced by Pam's constant teasing of Jason striking out with Thalia. "As long as I get some sleep tomorrow I will be fine." She smiled.

"Not when you are dating a vamp... ire." Crystal decided to add her two cents.

"Oh no, I'm sleeping when I get home. Godric doesn't expect me to stay up all night with him. I got classes most weekdays to be up all night, and Godric more than understands. Hell, he doesn't expect me to." Sookie answered nonchalantly. Damn it, she felt sorry for Crystal. This little piece of information about her and Godric had sent her into another tailspin. Yvetta shot her a dirty look that she ignored smiling at her knowing it pissed the dancer of even more. Sookie was well aware that the dynamic she had with Godric was very different from what Yvetta had with Eric. She could walk away at any point but chose to stay and be used for sex and blood and other things she didn't want in her head tonight of all nights.

"Ladies, the drinks aren't going to serve themselves." Pam drawled. The others rushed out of the locker room, except for Sookie who was still lacing up her boots.

"Oh, I don't know I'm sure if we gave them a chance they just might serve themselves." Sookie returned. "After all, they tell me what each customer wants." She knew for a split second there Pam actually bought it.

"How do you know what they want?" This was the first time she had come out and asked. It was the first time anyone had come out and asked. Well, Godric had, but he already knew she was a telepath.

"Well, I certainly don't have the AP in my corner like someone I know." Was her retort?

"So that was how Godric knew what your favorite drink was." The information actually shook Pam. She now knew the Ancient Pythoness set the two up. Eric never stood a chance she now knew that nor her either for that matter. "I never apologized for my comments the first night we met. I am sorry for that, you are a rarity Sookie, and I reduced you to a piece of meat." Sookie knew her apology was sincere.

"It's forgiven, and in truth, I can't blame you. Humans are just that to you... food."

"But you aren't human or at least not entirely." Again the first time she had come out and said so.

"Eric doesn't tell you much... does he?" She left Pam in the locker room after that comment.

With Godric's blood in her she was able to mask her scent easily and the amount of Godric's blood in her as well. As far as anyone was aware they weren't twice bonded, now she wasn't so sure it was a good idea. Her phone vibrated in her pocket.

' _I know you are concerned about the bond not showing, but keep it masked. He will be at the farmhouse tomorrow night, and there you can show off to your heart's content.'_

She chuckled at the text and then looked up to find Godric staring at her. "Okay." She mouthed. She sauntered to the bar and wasn't surprised to find Jason there. He found the whole thing with Compton and the queen entertaining and wasn't going to miss any of it.

"SOOKIE... what am I drinking." One of the many familiar faces asked.

"Moody, you really don't need to ask. You've been drinking the same thing since I've known you. She grabbed a bottle of bud twisting the cap off and handing it to him. "I believe I don't have to tell you the cost." She laughed at the look on his face.

"One of these days I will change my mind." Sookie parroted him as he said the words he had been saying it for as long as she could remember earning laughs from a few patrons.

Two hours into her night Bill Compton had yet to take his eyes of Sookie. Worse, it appeared Eric and Pam had also noticed. She was counting down the hours until her break.

But of course, her night would not be complete if the procurer himself didn't make his way over to the bar. Noticing this, Jason called her. "Sook, can I get a beer over here, and a true blood for Alfonse." Alfonse and Jason had become friends ever since her brother knocked out the vampire.

"Sure, coming up." She said with a grateful smile.

"Taking my break." She said to no one in particular, the minute Jase and Alfonse were served. She let out a large sigh of relief the minute the doors closed behind them.

"Things are going as expected," Godric whispered rubbing her shoulders. "He knows all about us, but he doesn't know everything he will surely visit the farmhouse tomorrow night.

"You know, I have bemoaned the fact that the sun knocks vampires out during the day. But right now, I'm grateful for it. At least I can be certain no vampire is going to try to grab me while I'm going to class. Weres... are not a problem, I can hear them perfectly well now to know when they are coming."

"I wholly agree with you. I..."

"He is coming this way," Sookie muttered angrily. She made it a point to study Compton's void as though her life depended on it because it did.

Compton stopped just before he came into view, it was clear he simply wanted to listen to their conversation. "Do you want to take a quick nap in the car?"

"Oh, you are just the best. God, yes." Sookie moaned. A nap meant neither has to bother with mundane conversation.

* * *

Thalia entered the farmhouse minutes after the sun went down. Jason had already teleported there. Thalia made her way upstairs to lie in wait. Jason had told her she didn't need to be there, but she insisted. He realized she was eager for all that was going to transpire with Compton and queen as much as he was. He had heard all about the crippling boredom that sometimes occurred when you are a vampire. Yes, this was exciting. Jason wished he could involve Pam, but she was far too loyal to Eric for her to keep it from him. He opened the front door and maneuvered a gust of wind through it to clean up any scent Compton might try to pick up.

"Freshly cut grass," Godric said with a smile as he exited the basement.

"Is Sook still sleeping?"

"Yes, she believes she needs all the sleep she can get to deal with tonight. She is going to have to work hard to mask her scent, but not entirely to show our bond." Jason nodded.

"Is he here yet. I have got so many questions for him." Adele beamed. Despite the situation, no one saw no reason why Adele shouldn't get her questions answered.

A knock on the floorboards from Thalia indicated Compton's arrival. "Here we go." Jason was practically giddy with excitement.

Compton would admit upon laying eyes on Sookie Stackhouse, he knew he would have no trouble feigning a romantic interest in her. She was a beautiful woman with a lovely personality, and that made him almost question the job he was sent to do. He soon learned about her unique trick of knowing what drink every patron wanted. At first, he worried she wasn't hiding her telepathy but soon learned everyone considered it a neat trick, not that she had a gift.

A wrench was thrown into his plans when he learned and saw her with Godric of Gaul. He knew the sheriff's maker had moved to Louisiana, but this new revelation certainly made things exponentially more difficult. The bar was too crowded for him to ascertain whether her blood was in him or worse his in her. He definitely had to introduce himself to the Stackhouses as the new neighbor.

He walked at the human pace through the cemetery toward the farmhouse. He hoped the information he had on them wasn't wrong, as her job had been. One thing that plagued him was the fact that after two years among vampires none knew she was a telepath. Maybe Hadley had mistaken a trick for a gift or Sophie-Anne had jumped to conclusions. This was turning out to be more complicated than he had anticipated. He rang the doorbell on the updated farmhouse. Her brother opened the door staring impassively at him.

"Yes." He asked clearly annoyed by his presence.

"I'm Bill Compton I just moved in across the way..."

"Oh, the new neighbor." He heard Adele chirp. "Jason, stop been rude and let the man in," Adele added.

"He's a vampire, gran." He said with an eye roll.

"Don't care what he is, let him in."

"Come in," Jason said with a sarcastic smile.

"Boy, you ain't too grown for a whooping," Adele warned Jason who rolled his eyes.

Compton entered and found Godric at the dining table with a bottle of true blood in hand.

Compton had a bad feeling about this. He's had a bad feeling since he found out Sookie worked at Fangtasia.


	11. Chapter 11

For two hours Adele grilled the civil war vet. Both Godric and Jason would admit the man knew how to tell a story. The conversation moved on to the present time. "Are you here because of the new laws passed?" Adele asked.

"Yes, ma'am." Compton smiled. "My last descendant passed not long ago, and I thought I'd move back to the home I built with these two hands."

"Oh, how wonderful." One would think Adele had forgotten this vampire was there to take away her granddaughter.

"Yes, it is," Compton said still smiling. He was happy to keep answering questions as it kept him there. He had yet to see the girl, but she was there that he was sure of because Godric was there as well. Compton had so many questions about the nature of their relationship. He could smell the girl all over Godric and by god he worked to keep his fangs in his gums.

"Where is Sookie? She can't still be sleeping." Adele groaned.

"No, I'm wide awake. Sunday is my day of rest, and I am making the most of it. Even God rested on Sunday." She moaned planting herself on Godric's lap.

"Sookie, this is Bill Compton, our new neighbor."

"Right... well welcome... I suppose." Her lack of interest was genuine.

"Thank you; it is good to be back." He said to her although her attention was solely focused on Godric. He could now smell the vampire's blood in her. This truly complicated matters.

Jason's phone rang then. Detective Stackhouse..." The greeting threw Bill. This was another piece of information that was wrong. Hadley's description of her male cousin was one of a layabout that couldn't string two sentences together. Jason Stackhouse was far from that, he was a detective and from what he was hearing, a homicide detective at that.

"Do you have to go in?" Adele asked.

"Nah, can I have some more pie." Adele scooped a large helping onto his plate. "I had the tech guys running some tests for me, and the results came in."

"And I'm guessing the results didn't come as a surprise." Godric chuckled.

"Nope, I knew what they were going to find, but my word alone ain't gonna cut it with the DA or the courts. So I let them waste money providing hard evidence. I already have my man, and tomorrow with the hard evidence in front of him he will sing like a canary. They always do." He said with a shrug. "One hundred percent record still intact." With his ability, he could always get you to tell the truth. He'd had cases where the evidence was so stuck against someone he knew was innocent and had had to fight to clear them. Of course, these days, when he believed someone was innocent the department backed him so it made his job easier. With his record why wouldn't they?

"Indeed," Godric said with a laugh.

"Well, it is well past my bedtime. Mr. Compton, thank you for indulging an old lady." She said before making her way up the stairs. With the only person making him feel welcome had gone to bed, Bill knew it was time to bid them goodbye that was until Jason piped up.

"When are you two gonna have a little shindig to celebrate your bond and let everyone know? I doubt anyone at the bar has picked it up."

"I do believe we should do something; I have a few old friends who would be very surprised by this."

"Yes, the eternal bachelor has been tied down." Sookie teased.

"And he couldn't be happier." He planted a rather indecent kiss on Sookie.

"Eating here." Jason glared at the pair.

"This is nothing compared to the shit I've heard coming from your room in this house." She stuck her tongue out at him as he still glared at her. He really didn't want Thalia hearing that.

"Well, I believe it's time for me to head home." Bill stood to leave.

"Goodnight Mr. Compton," Sookie said her gaze barely on him.

"Please call me Bill." Sookie gave a noncommittal grunt.

Bill vamped back to his house shutting the door with a growl. He made his way up to the attic and underneath one of the floorboards grabbed a prepaid cellphone. He dialed a number, and after two rings it was answered with a generic greeting. "It's Compton, put me through to the queen."

"Please hold." Bill sighed, a very human thing to do. He really did not feel good about this and was hoping after his report the queen would order him back to court.

"Bill, I didn't expect to hear from you so soon." Sophie-Anne cheered.

"I do not believe the Stackhouse girl is a telepath." He started. He couldn't outright lie just in case it came back to bite him the ass.

"Oh." The queen sounded disappointed.

"Yes, I believe she has a little trick of knowing what her customers want, but I also believe it's simply because she has near perfect recall." He was bullshitting, but anything to get back to court. He had no idea how Sookie did what she did.

"Couldn't that be her hiding her telepathy?" She countered.

"Yes, but considering she is a bartender at the sheriff's bar and has been for two years..."

"I'm sorry... what?" She bellowed.

"Yes, Hadley was wrong, her cousin does not work at Merlotte's. She is a bartender at Fangtasia and has been for two years. If she were a telepath, the sheriff would know that by now."

"When you say she knows what her customers want... what do you mean?"

"She doesn't ask them what they want..."

"You mean to tell me she serves them without asking and yet gets it right every time." Sophie- Anne was beginning to sound elated.

"That is what I observed while I was at the bar." If Bill could knock himself out, he would have done it. He just had the perfect opportunity to put the queen off but had just done the opposite.

"Then I expect you to confirm whether her talents are that of a telepath or just a trick to amuse her customers."

"That is all well and good, but unfortunately even if she is a telepath. I don't believe I could get her to come to court."

"Bill is she ugly." The queen cackled.

"No, far from it, but she is bonded to a vampire." That news shut the queen up. "Your majesty," Bill called wondering if she had hanged up.

"I will send someone to deal with the vampire when the time is right." Sophie- Anne said flippantly.

"Her bonded is Godric of Gaul." Again the line got very quiet.

After a while, she spoke again. "Are you certain?"

"Yes, I spent the evening in their home. He was there, and they also talked about having a ceremony to make it public knowledge. Not only that, her brother is a homicide detective with the Shreveport police department and an excellent one at that. If she goes missing, the entire law enforcement of this state would be searching for her. That is if we can even get her away from her bonded. It would also appear that my very sight annoys both her and her brother. Her grandmother made me feel welcome, but the siblings... can't say how the Gaul feels about my presence." Bill sighed, something he found himself doing too much of lately. "Your majesty... this is a lost cause," Bill begged.

"Find out if the girl is truly a telepath and then we can decide from there." He wanted to smash something. "And Bill, make it quick... it would be ideal if I could have this information before the bonding is made public." That was not what he wanted to hear, nor did Godric, who was listening to the conversation perched on Bill's roof.

* * *

For the first time in a long time, Sookie worked the night shift without Godric or Jason there. She consoled herself with the fact that she had Thalia watching her back. Despite Eric's interest and Yvetta's hostility, she'd never felt the need to have someone watch her back until Compton showed up. Again, he sat there for the better part of two hours and did nothing but stare at her. He finally made his way over to the bar, this time she'd be forced to serve him.

"Hello, Sookie." He greeted with a smile.

"What can I get you?" She asked without thought, but soon realized what she had done when both Pam and Alfonse barked out laughs. Both Thalia and Eric smirked, and there were a few snickers from some the patrons. Of course, she had forgotten she asked you for your drink when she didn't like you. In truth, she hadn't asked anyone in a long while and forgot what it meant to ask.

Bill had no idea what her asking meant, he looked around perplexed especially at Pam who was still sniggering. "True blood." Without a word, Sookie grabbed one heated it up and handed it over to him before moving away.

"So what did you do to piss her off?" Alfonse asked with a smirk.

"Nothing... not that I know off," Bill responded still perplexed.

"She only asks when she really doesn't like you. And worse, as a vampire, you can only drink one thing and she still asked. She really must not like you at all." Finally, Bill understood the reactions around him.

"It must be the fact that he does nothing but stared at her as though she were his next meal." Pam snarked.

"I would have to agree. Your staring is rather disconcerting and makes the young lady uncomfortable." Thalia added.

"Dude, it is really creepy the way you stare. Yeah, she's beautiful, but she's also with that vampire no one fucks with. You know the one that was friends with Jesus, and then there is her brother." A human Bill didn't know added. Eric rolled his eyes at the Jesus comment. It appears that was all Godric as now known for as far as the humans were concerned.

"Didn't realize I was staring enough to creep her out." He muttered even though he knew it was a bald-faced lie.

"Really, because it ain't aimed at me and even I'm creeped out," Brenda added with a shiver. Bill knew he had just made his task even more difficult as this conversation was sure to get back to Godric.

Sookie smiled to herself as she went for her break. Without Godric around, she went to the locker room and grabbed a sandwich and a book out of her locker. The door to the locker room opened, and Pam wandered in. "I really do not like Compton's interest in you." She said without preamble.

"I don't either, anyone that sits there two nights in a row and does nothing but stare..." she left the sentence hanging. Pam knew Compton was the queen's procurer and wondered if his interest in Sookie had anything to do with the fact that she wasn't mortal. She had confronted Eric after her talk with Sookie, and he had admitted that Sookie had revealed the fact that she wasn't mortal and therefore Godric didn't need to change her. The revelation had left Pam reeling. The two had spent hours theorizing what Sookie and her brother could possibly be. Worse, the two couldn't be glamoured into revealing that information.

"Anyway, I doubt we will see him here anytime soon." Sookie knew Compton would be back on her next shift. He had a job to do and time was of the essence. She prayed Godric's trip to New Orleans would yield some information about how the queen knew of her gift, and what her plans were for Sookie. "Don't you usually go to your car for your break?" Pam asked.

"Yes, but I found my spot taken when I got here tonight, so I parked out front." Yvetta had parked in her space. Since Sookie had worked for the club since it's early days, she was lucky enough to have an employee parking spot. Since there were so few, the later employees parked out with the patrons. She let it go and put it down to the fact that she usually flew in with Godric, so Yvetta thought the space would be empty, but deep down Sookie knew better.

When Sookie came back out Compton was long gone and she sighed in relief. The rest of the night went without a hitch. She said her goodbyes to the others and made her way to the car.

* * *

Godric's trip had been fruitful, and he was feeling somewhat relaxed as he was almost home when the pain hit. He concentrated on his bonds and found it wasn't Eric, but Sookie. For the first time in three millennia, he felt something akin to panic. The bond told him Sookie was still at the bar, and he made his way there flying faster than he had ever managed. He landed next to Sookie's car and seeing the blood rushed to the bar and into Eric's office to find his progeny giving Sookie his blood.


	12. Chapter 12

Godric stare had Eric wondering if he would live long enough to see the results of his blood in Sookie. Godric growled and took a menacing step towards his childe, only to be halted by Sookie's groaning. "Godric." She was still unconscious but clearly felt his presence.

With one last withering look at his childe, he turned his attention to his bonded. "Sookie... dear, I'm here." He picked her up from the sofa and held her. "What happened?" He asked no one in particular. Thalia was just glaring at Eric. She now knew Eric could feel Godric coming and that he was very close and yet he gave Sookie his blood knowing those seconds would not have made any difference to Sookie's health. Then again if he was truly concerned for this maker's bonded he would have asked Thalia to give Sookie her blood as she was twice his age and her blood was more potent. This was about getting his blood into Sookie.

Sookie had told them about Eric biding his time for the perfect opportunity, and she now knew this was it. It was about getting his blood into Sookie. She hoped for his sake he had nothing to do with the accident that put her in this state for him to give her his blood.

"She was walking to her car when a car came out of nowhere and hit her. The driver sped off." Thalia answered still annoyed with herself for not being closer to the girl. "My first priority was for Miss Stackhouse so I'm afraid the driver got away." She added.

"We have CCTV," Eric answered.

Godric looked down at his bonded and stroked her hair gently. There was blood on her forehead. In his fury, he hadn't taken notice of the smell in the office and for the first time realized the office was saturated in Sookie's blood and scent. It explained why only Thalia and Eric were in the office with Sookie. Anyone younger would have been unable to control themselves around his bonded. "Godric, baby." Sookie moaned. Any other time Thalia would have laughed at the term of endearment.

"You are not supposed to use that term in public." He chastised her knowing she was waking up.

"I got hit by a car, I believe I am allowed some leeway." She muttered opening her eyes. "Hey." She said with a smile.

"You scared me... I don't believe I have ever been this terrified." He admitted boldly.

"Getting hit by a car isn't what is going to kill me. I would have healed by morning. Did you give me blood, it doesn't feel like you did... it feels different." She muttered the last part more to herself.

"No, Eric did." Godric barely got that out through gritted teeth.

"That explains the lack of..." Sookie let the sentence hang as her hand came to her head or at least to where the gash should have been.

"Thalia, could you wash the blood by her car," Godric ordered. "Was there any..."

"No, I sealed the wound immediately." Godric nodded gratefully.

Her sealing the wound had incensed Eric to no end, but what got to him more was the fact that he could barely feel her emotions. In fact, since she woke up he felt nothing, her scent was gone, and she had clearly also shut down whatever link his blood would have created in them. On a positive note, he now had two more pieces of information to go on. That was if he lived long enough with the way Godric was glowering at him.

"You can smell the nature of my bond with her and yet... I don't know what you hoped to achieve by giving her your blood, but you have crossed a line I cannot forgive. You knew I was here and yet... now is not the time, but rest assured we will have words at a later date." No sooner had the words left his mouth when Jason burst into the room.

"Thank fuck you are alright. Where is your phone?" He asked with a relieved sigh.

"It was damaged in the accident," Thalia answered walking in behind him. In any other setting, she would have comforted him.

"Well, the kid that hit you turned himself him. He ran because y'all are vampires and he feared the worst." He chuckled.

"What's going to happen to him?" Godric asked.

"Since he turned himself in and admitted to the crime... it will be a ban and a slap on the wrist since Sook is alright." Godric hated that answer. "I know it's not much, but we can't go to the hospital. How do we explain her healing right in front of them or the lack of blood type? I'm just as pissed... kid taking his father's Ferrari, worse, going at speeds he couldn't control." Jason groused.

"I'm fine, just a little banged up, but nothing a good nights rest won't cure," Sookie muttered attempting to get off Godric's lap who refused to let her go. She stared at him, sighed and gave up.

"You will take more than a nights rest." No one argued with him.

"Okay then, take me home." She kissed him gently hoping to calm him if only a little.

* * *

Sookie watched him as he flew them to the farmhouse. His jaw was clenched, and she could feel the rage rolling off him in waves. He still didn't put her down when they landed or entered the farmhouse. He finally did when they got to the basement, and gently placed her on the edge of the bed. Without a word, he stalked into the bathroom and started running the bath.

After a few minutes he came back shirtless, and again carried her to the bathroom. His gentleness belied the anger that was brewing inside the vampire. The bond was closed, and in truth, she was grateful for that. She doubted she could have dealt with what he was feeling right now, and also because she had also shut her end down. She had done so to stop Eric from getting anything from her, even though she doubted he could.

For once he allowed her to stand on her own two feet to get undressed. He didn't get in the bath with her as he meticulously washed her. "Please, get in." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but he heard it clearly and the emotion behind it. With a sigh, he pulled his pants off and got in. She settled against him with a smile.

"You weren't this mad when you came back from Compton's place the other night," Sookie muttered running her finger up and down his thigh.

"No, they are strangers, and therefore I don't see what they are doing as a betrayal." She now truly understood his anger.

"He is my child, has been for a thousand years. I know he is obsessed with you, but I never truly believed he would go out of his way and do something knowing it would hurt me. He knows we are bonded... maybe it's not complete, but he could smell it when you were unconscious."

"I understand." She sighed settling further into him. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her neck. "Does he know what I am now?"

"No, yours and Jason's scent differ greatly from that of a full Fairy. Your human side has added a unique flavor to it. It makes it quite unique. And several species of Fae can also mask their scents. Elves are more known for their ability to mask their scents and hide their true nature more than Fairies. I believe the Goblins are also capable. Eric has encountered Fairies, but I have warned him about draining one. It more often than not leads to a vampires true death."

"How?" Sookie asked.

"One the blood of a Fairy is intoxicating to vampires." Godric chuckled.

"I know that. One of the journals we found detailed it. I understand being drunk on Fairy blood, but how does that lead to death?" Sookie asked.

"Vampires have happily walked around till the sun came up and after the blood wore off have burnt to death. I believe that is where the myth of spontaneous combustion more than likely came from. Then there are the occasions where other Fairies quickly turn up and kill the vampire in question."

"Yeah, that would make me weary were I a vampire," Sookie whispered.

"Whether Eric had drained a Fairy when I wasn't around I do not know. Believe me, most vampires, myself included are usually too overcome to mentally catalog the scent more or less pick up on it when diluted. Unless you tell him, he will never know. Telepathy isn't known by many to be a Fairy trait. I wish I could say this will be his last attempt, but I know my childe. He wants you, and he has demonstrated his lack of respect for me in his attempt. My position no longer means anything to him."

"He can try and take me away from you, but it's a fruitless endeavor." Sookie groused.

"I do not believe that the end goal, I think he means to share. He did ask, and I shut him down."

"He did what?" The temperature in the bathroom dropped suddenly. Yep, he'd fucked up, and he knew it. "He asked to share... me. When exactly did he ask to share... me?" the disdain in her voice could not be missed.

"After our first night together." He whispered, his anger long gone replaced by trepidation and by the gods he loved it. The feelings she could invoke in him was just sublime.

"And why am I only finding out about this now?"

"I never intended to tell you. I wasn't going to sully this by even mentioning it. It wasn't worth..." Godric's words were swallowed as she kissed him. She had turned in the bath and was now straddling him. After several months together these sudden change in moods still confounded him.

* * *

"So," Pam asked after Godric flew off with Sookie and Thalia drove off with Jason. She had heard everything even though she'd been kicked out of the office for losing control.

"I feel nothing. There was this hum when she was passed out... the minute she woke up, she shut off the bond and masked her scent." Eric grumbled.

"Well that is certainly further confirmation of her having a sup side, but what kind of sup."

"She can mask her scent and shut off bonds. The Fae are known for it, especially Elves. " Eric smiled.

"You believe that's what she is?"

"I need to do some more research." His voice trailed off when he thought of Godric. In the heat of the moment, he grabbed his opportunity with no thought or care for his maker. Now, in the cold of light day or in their case night, he couldn't think of any other analogy he was regretting his decision. Deep down what did knowing what Sookie was going to achieve? It certainly wouldn't get the girl in his bed or anywhere else. He was never going to sample the delights of Sookie Stackhouse, and yet he couldn't let the idea go.

"What of Godric?" Pam asked knowing where Eric's mind had gone.

"I don't know... at worst... he could simply ignore me. It's nothing new... we have barely had any time together since he laid eyes on Sookie." He sounded like a petulant child, and yet he didn't care. His maker still existed, but in truth, he might just as well have met the sun. The second the thought hit him he knew it was not true. He'd rather have Godric existing and ignoring him than dead. In truth, he was feeling a great deal of jealousy and hurt over his maker choosing Sookie over him. Godric hadn't thought of him when he decided to meet the sun. Nothing Eric would have said would have changed his maker's mind, but somehow the mere existence of Sookie Stackhouse had so and that hurt.

Then there was the fact that he was jealous of Godric having Sookie. A year and half of trying had gotten him nowhere, but Godric within weeks had Sookie and now was bonded to her.

Before Pam could say anything her phone rung. "Grandsire." She answered.

"I believe you are responsible for filing the necessary paperwork with the queen when one is bonded in her region." Pam's jaw dropped. Having not been in the room with Sookie she had no idea of the exchange.

"Yes, I am, but I do require proof, and I have been around Sookie and I have not ..." She didn't finish.

"You shall have your proof in a couple of nights. Desmond Cataliades will also be present." Godric dropped the line before she could respond.

"Well, that is going to anger Sophie-Anne." Pam chuckled.

"Why?" Eric asked sitting straight.

"Of course, you weren't here earlier. I believe the queen sent Compton here for Sookie." That theory made more sense than Eric would have liked. "For the two night he was here, he did nothing but stare at Sookie till we called him out on it. The first night he showed up..." Pam started.

"I, at the time believed he was looking for someone." Eric finished. "He was looking for her." Eric stood up. "She knows what the Stackhouses are." He whispered.

"I believe she does, and now with Godric about to announce his bond." Pam cackled.

"Indeed, Sophie-Anne is not going to be happy." He couldn't help but smile either, but for entirely different reasons.


	13. Chapter 13

Godric felt the warmth of her body wrapped around him as he arose from his day death. "Good afternoon, dear." Sookie greeted with a sigh, the kind that screamed finally. Clearly, she had been waiting for him to wake up. She was still naked from the early morning activities.

"Have you seen Adele?" After the events of the night, he hoped she would have ventured upstairs to be at least seen by her grandmother. Jason had told Adele everything when she woke up at the crack of dawn. He had gone up after Sookie had fallen asleep to assure her that Sookie was well.

"Yes, I went up a couple of hours ago and allowed her to fuss over me without complaint." She teased.

"Good." He murmured.

"I want to complete the bond tonight." Godric stared at her for a beat.

"I know I was beyond angry about what Eric did, but we finish the bond as planned." She had a romantic setting in mind, and he was going to give her that.

"It's not about Eric's blood in me. He can barely feel a thing, and I can shut it down with ease. Well, it's not entirely about that." She sat up and faced him. "Your phone call with Pam. I realized... I just... whatever piece of paper you were going to fill out, I wanted every word to be true. Sure we can lie and tell everyone the bond is complete..."

"But you want that to truly be the case." Godric finished.

"I do," Sookie whispered.

Okay." He tried to hide the ardor in his voice but failed entirely. Sookie laughed before leaning forward to kiss him having picked up on his excitement as well. "One thing... when you gained consciousness you knew I hadn't given you my blood. How?" That thought had baffled him for a while.

"Your blood does what I want it to do. At least it feels that way." She said as though that answered his question.

"It does what you want it to do." His bafflement continued.

"She nodded. "Yes, the first time I had your blood was also the first time I'd teleported after going through my Fairy maturity. It was so easy I thought nothing of it because well... "

"You'd gone through your maturity." Godric finished.

"Precisely." She leaned on his chest to get a better look at him. "I wanted to shower before bed and needed the energy to do so, and I had it. When I needed to fall asleep... I did with ease. I woke up with a spring in my step because I wanted just that. I never felt so good in my life. In truth, I thought nothing of it until I was having a conversation with Jase. He mentioned how Thalia blood made teleporting so much easier. He said it was as though her blood gave him an extra boost to do what he needed no matter how trivial. I don't know if it's your age or if it is the nature of our relationship with you. Eric's blood did little for me, when I gained consciousness, I was still sore, and the boost I usually get from your blood was entirely missing." He couldn't disagree with that assessment as a faint line of her head injury was still represent despite Eric's blood in her.

"Fascinating." Godric murmured. "And it's the same for Jason?"

"Yep." She said popping the p.

"Outside changing Eric, I have never shared my blood, so this is new. Although I have also never heard of such a phenomenon." He said thoughtfully.

"Do you think the fact that we are part Fairy might have something to do with it?"

"It might, but truly, I have no idea." He conceded.

"Okay, go shower, and I will get everything ready. We are going to have a romantic moonlit picnic by the pond." He chuckled at her exuberance.

Sookie sighed as she looked out over the pond on the Stackhouse property. It was the one thing on the property that had stayed the same; well at least that was what her gran always said. Sookie loved how isolated it was and far removed from people. Maybe that was why it had survived all these decades.

She set the blanket and the small picnic basket down. She made her way back to the house to grab the lanterns when she ran into the last person she wanted to see, especially on that night.

* * *

Bill Compton stood over what was supposed to be his grave. He could imagine Caroline, Sarah, and Thomas standing by the empty coffin saying their teary goodbyes. He's only seen them once after he was turned and never again. In fact, he allowed himself to accept the monster he was and lived the life his maker had wanted. A life of blood and death, one filled with endless torture and killings until he could no longer stand to look at himself in the mirror. Over the last century and a half, he had thought about meeting the sun on several occasions. He had almost staked himself once and had been stopped by Lorena releasing him. He was beginning to enjoy his vampiric existence. He had an idea that would make both him and his queen rich if she would only fund the initial cost.

Instead, he was in the one place he never wanted to step foot back in, and on a mission that would more than likely end him for good this time. If he could just get her on her own for just a few seconds, it will all be over. Even if she was a telepath, he would lie to the queen because no one in their right mind would go after what was undoubtedly the Gaul's.

He heard some rustling and footsteps up ahead but ignored them until Sookie Stackhouse made it into the clearing. "There is a God." He murmured. "Sookie." He called out with a radiant smile. Sookie sighed and looked over at him with nothing but disdain. Even the way he pronounced her name grated on her damn nerves.

"Compton." She responded not breaking her stride in order to get back to the farmhouse. Bill realizing she wasn't going to stop to talk moved directly to intercept her. "Tell me something, Sookie. Are you a telepath?" He asked under glamour. Sookie stared at him for a beat and then smiled.

"You shouldn't have done that." Bill looked on in shock. "You really shouldn't have done that." She repeated. Bill staggered backward and run right into death himself.

"Indeed... you shouldn't have." Godric's voice was cold and beyond deadly. This was the vampire the vampire world feared. This was the vampire who in his lifetime had not sworn fealty to any king or queen. Some monarchs have offered him millions hoping he would take the post of sheriff in their states or country knowing none would challenge them because of this vampire. For the first time in his existence, Bill Compton truly didn't want to die, yet he was facing death.

"I am sure you have a reason for attempting to glamour my bonded knowing full well it is a crime in which I could end your very existence." Bill stared at Godric, then turned his eyes on Sookie.

"I'm sorry... I was just hoping..."

"To procure information by any means necessary. Tell me, Compton, how did you know about my bonded been a telepath?" Yep, Godric had just confirmed it because Compton wasn't going to live to tell anyone about it.

"Her cousin, Hadley Delahoussaye." Sookie's head snapped up.

"What?"

"I found her years ago, high on drugs and alcohol and took her to the queen. Despite the drugs and alcohol her blood still smelled wonderful."

"Hadley is alive and well." Sookie had long given up hope her cousin would ever be found alive, more or less well. Of course, she wasn't surprised Hadley had sold her out.

"Be that as it may, why were you attempting to glamour Sookie? You know she is bonded to me. So why do you persist in finding if her cousin was indeed telling the truth? It makes no difference to your queen as I will not let her go for anything." Godric knew the truth but wondered what lie Compton would spin.

"Sophie-Anne insisted I carry on despite news of Miss Stackhouse's relationship to you." He sounded weak despite his attempt to look somewhat confident.

"Well then, why don't we talk to the queen." Bill did not expect that. He didn't think Godric would reveal Sookie's inability to be glamoured to the queen. Talk about confirming her oddities to Sophie-Anne. If Godric didn't kill him, the queen sure would.

"This is Godric of Gaul, I would like to have a word with Sophie-Anne." He said as he glared at Compton. Within seconds Sophie-Anne was on the line.

"Godric, It is a surprise to hear from you. To what do I owe the honor?"

"Bill Compton just minutes ago attempted to glamour my bonded. Upon confrontation, he revealed he did so on your orders." Sophie- Anne was silent; Bill now knew this to be from been caught off guard.

"And who might I enquire is your bonded."

"Sookie Stackhouse," Godric replied, for the first time his tone softened a touch. That little fact wasn't missed by anyone.

"Indeed, I sent Bill to make enquires about Miss Stackhouse. We had no idea the young lady was bonded to you." Sophie-Anne defended.

"You might not have known..." Godric said despite knowing she was lying. "But your procurer did. He was in the room with us when my bonded's brother enquired about us making our union known by having a little get-together."

"I see," Sophie-Anne whispered. "I will call Compton back to New Orleans, and I can promise... you will never see him again." Sophie- Anne said.

"I'm afraid that is not good enough... I seek Compton's true death." It was harsh, and he knew it, but Compton had to go.

"Godric, the true death is a punishment far outweighing the crime." Sophie-Anne groused angrily.

"Oh, I know, but his attempt at glamouring and your bald-faced lie is the reason I am ending him."

"I haven't lied to you." She continued to lie.

"So you truly did not know Sookie was bonded to me. You did not order Compton to speed up his investigation upon learning Sookie was bonded to me? Did you not at first tell him you will have her bonded taken care off when the time came until you learned her bonded was me? Did you not despite knowing it was me still pushed him to investigate despite his warnings to you?" At that moment, Bill Compton realized the Gaul had known of all this for some time. He wondered if their instant dislike of him from the get-go was because they had known before he even arrived.

"I am waiting for a response," Godric growled. Bill wondered what Sophie-Ann could possibly say to all that. With Godric occupied with the queen and Sookie busy staring at her bonded with complete admiration, he bolted but did not make it far. Bill hissed at the pain he suddenly found himself in. He tried clawing at the silver around his neck only to pull his fingers away sharply as they too burned. "Nice try," Jason growled as he yanked on the chain around Bill's neck.

"Me and mine are off limits." Do I make myself clear?" Godric's tone left Sophie-Anne under no illusion. Death would come for her if she crossed the Gaul and his bonded's family again.

"Understood." She whispered.

"I know more than you can possibly imagine... and certainly more than my childe thinks I do." The line went dead with Sophie-Anne wondering what that sentence meant.

She screamed for her aide. "Your majesty." He answered, by her side within seconds.

"What news of sheriff Northman?" She asked Godric's words still rattling around in her brain.

"He is currently in your library. He called early this morning seeking access. It was granted as always. He also requested if possible to speak to you when you were free."

"Did he now?" She chuckled. "Well, I will see him now in the library." She dismissed her aide with a wave of a hand as she made her way to the library. She wondered what the sheriff had up his sleeve because he always had something up his sleeve.

AN: Sorry for the long delay, spent the holidays battling a case of flu.


	14. Chapter 14

Russell Edgington had made Sophie-Anne desperate in her attempts to keep her throne and existence. She knew Edgington's interest in marriage had nothing to do with love or a profitable merger of states, but the sole purpose of eliminating her. Edgington's interest in Louisiana was no secret, and it appears he was now prepared to step up his efforts to get her out of the way. If she married Edgington, she'd meet the true death in less than a year. Her desperation had led to her attempts to get Sookie Stackhouse; she had hoped tying someone with her gifts to her would attract more suitable offers from monarchs who were genuinely interested in a partnership.

She was in desperate need of funds or else things were only going to get worse, hence the need for a partnership. A telepath was a rare and lucrative find indeed. The money the girl would have brought to her dwindling coffers would have been immense

How Edgington found out about her dire need for finances was beyond her. She and her lawyers were the only two who knew about it or at least that was supposed to be the case.

The ridiculousness of her palace was glaring in its obviousness when she thought about the money it took to make it so. It wasn't worth it, that much she now knew. The ostentatiousness of her palace still attracted the caliber of vampires she wanted around her. Her need to be seen meant she was now being seen by the likes of Threadgill and Edgington. The likes she wouldn't be caught dead with. And now that is just how she would be seen with such ilk. Dead.

By the time she got to the library, Eric had every book on the Fae race on her grand table, even the ones with notations. "I'm afraid you will find nothing in those. Nothing in those book explains your bartender." There was no need to pretend. Compton was more than likely dead.

"So you did send Compton for her," Eric said with a chuckle abandoning the books.

"I did, and it cost him his existence." Eric stared at a loss to understand her words.

"He tried to glamour the girl and was caught by your maker."

Idiot... she can't be glamoured. Neither of them can." That last sentence was a mistake.

"Neither of them?" The queen sat forward.

"Yes, her brother I believe is far more powerful." Eric reluctantly admitted.

"I was led to believe he was a complete idiot." Sophie-Anne chuckled.

"No, he is a homicide detective with a one hundred percent arrest and conviction rate. He is no idiot. He is a man that somehow gets all the perpetrators that come his way to confess."

"Indeed, that is no idiotic trait. Two telepaths in one family." Sophie-Anne murmured.

"Telepaths... Of course." Eric wanted to kick himself. It was all so obvious now. So busy berating himself at his own stupidity he missed the look of trepidation on Sophie-Anne's face. She hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"You still have no idea what they are?" H asked after a while.

"No, Compton was investigating, but I had no information from him regarding his progress on the matter." Eric whipped out his phone and sent a text. He couldn't chance anyone hearing his conversation with Pam. He wanted her quickly at Compton's house clearing out every piece of paper and computer equipment no matter how small. He still didn't quite know what knowing all about her would get him. She was after all bonded to Godric and right now his maker was beyond angry with him to give him anything more or less Sookie.

"Good luck with the brother," Sophie-Anne said as she stood to leave.

"You don't want the boy." Eric's voice was tinged with suspicion.

"No, Eric... I do not. Your maker made it clear that the Stackhouse's were off limit. It is a warning I intend to heed. I enjoy my existence and want to continue enjoying it. He is your maker, and he will not kill you, but I learned long ago that sometimes death is better than the alternative. I want no part of this." Sophie-Anne breezed out of the library leaving behind a very concerned Eric Northman.

Her phone call with Godric had got her thinking. Just maybe his settling in her state might just be what she needed to stave of Edgington. She realized the best course of action was to lay the problem before the Gaul in hopes he would help.

It was unfortunate, but she'd more than likely lose the Viking in hopes of keeping his maker.

* * *

"Jason, I leave him in your capable hands," Godric said as he finished his call with Sophie-Anne.

"Wait, I am the one he harassed and tried glamouring. Why does he get to kill him?" Sookie indignant voice piped up.

"We have plans, my dear," Godric said in an attempt to placate.

"Okay." Sookie acquiesced but wasn't happy. "Jase..." she got her brother's attention. "Take your time." She groused. Thalia chuckled at the look on Jason's face.

"I intend to." He was practically vibrating with need.

"Thalia, I want every information he has on them confiscated immediately.

Bill was surprised when he found himself left alone with Jason and even more perplexing the silver around his neck was gone. They truly didn't believe the boy could best him even with that silver chain hanging deceptively loose by his side.

"Would you like a weapon? No guns." Jason asked a smirking Compton.

"No." He chuckled and shot forward only to find the boy gone.

At that moment they both realized Compton had read the situation wrong. The boy would best him if he weren't careful.

"If you even remotely knick me, Thalia will kick the shit out of me. This is not going to be a fight." He warned, and then struck, the silver chain slicing Bill's cheek as he moved to dodge. Somehow he was slower than the mostly human detective.

"I hate to tell you this, but I know every move you are about to make before you make it." Jason lied. Fighting was just as much about the physical as it was psychological.

Compton backed up and thought about running only to earn a chuckle from the boy. Of course, he knew that too. He hadn't taken into account that the brother could also be a telepath. With that thought in mind, Compton couldn't string a single attempt of defense or attack together.

Soon he was a barely walking mess of cuts made by that damn chain. He found the chain wrapped once again around his neck.

"I ain't really a telepath," Jason said before yanking the chain and taking Compton's head off in the process.

* * *

"I strongly believe after we are fully bonded we can try a few things..." Sookie raised an eyebrow at him. "As in your training." He said with a roll of his eyes, which Sookie found amusing as it was unlike him.

"Rolling our eyes now are we." She teased.

"You are becoming a bad influence on me, Miss Stackhouse." He quipped.

"Hardly." She retorted taking a sip of her drink. "So what about my training?"

"I have noticed your ability to control the air around you comes rather easily to you compared to say controlling your light. I do believe I can teach you to defy gravity to a certain extent." Sookie's jaw dropped as she stared at Godric.

"Wait... you can teach me to fly. I mean that is what you are saying... right?"

"That is exactly what I'm saying. Take into account this is something that could take years if not decades." He advised trying to temper her enthusiasm.

"Don't care how long it takes as long as you actually think you can teach me to fly then yeah..." She squealed earning a chuckle from Godric.

"There is one more thing I've meaning to ask you about." He features contorted into one of concern. "Would you like to have kids sometime in the future?" The question threw Sookie. She honestly hadn't expected it.

"No, I can't watch my kids grow old and die. All that Fairy power skipped one or two people, or else my great grandfather would still be walking around as a young man."

"He was half Fairy?" Godric asked surprised by the fact he had not somehow inherited some power from Niall.

"I don't really know if it skipped him or if something else factored in his death," Sookie admitted. My granddad went missing when I eleven so who knows. My daddy died when I was seven, so again..." She took a deep breath. This is not where Godric had envisioned the conversation going. "Jase and I knew if we chose to improve on what we had we'd only grow stronger, and with that strength came a certain level of immortality. The more we learn, the less likely we are to grow old and die. We would have aged, but an incredibly slow rate, but bonded to vampires mean even that slow rate is now more than likely nonexistent. If we married humans and had any children... we would only watch our spouses and kids grow old and die. Can you imagine having to tell someone you are in a relationship with that you are immortal, that they would grow old while you still stayed young? Watching your kids grow old as well and leave this world. It wasn't a pain Jase, and I intended to put ourselves through, even if we found partners who could live with our sup side."

"Yes, I can understand that." He murmured. "I had feared Thalia, and I were taking so much from you."

"No, if anything you two have given us something we never thought we would have. I can live without kids as long as I have you. Trust me Godric, if I weren't already immortal, I would ask you to turn me right after we were fully bonded." Her words had an impact she would never know because he had no words to explain it. Much to his annoyance, Sophie-Anne chose that moment to call.

"Hello." He greeted politely despite everything.

"Godric, I believe I have a few things to explain." Sophie-Anne was brutally honest with him. She admitted her lack of funds was down to her and no one else. She was honest about why she was desperate for Sookie. The threat Russell Edgington posed and also her conversation with Eric. Godric shut in eyes in frustration when she admitted she had let slip the fact that Sookie was a telepath.

"Godric, I need your help." He will admit he was surprised she had asked.

"I intend to make Louisiana my home for the foreseeable future, and I cannot have its peace disrupted by the likes of Edgington or Threadgill. So you shall have my help. You have called at the most inopportune moment. I will call you tomorrow night, and we will hash out the details." This is no real issue as far as Godric was concerned.

"Thank you, Godric." Her gratitude and relief could be felt through the phone.

"Are you really going to help her?" Sookie asked.

"Yes, I promised to keep you out of vampire politics, and it will be easy to do when the monarch of the state you live in is indebted to you. I am only helping because of you, and I will make that clear. I could just as easily move to another state if your family weren't in her state. This isn't some altruistic endeavor on my part. I am doing it purely for our peace of mind. Add to that Russell Edgington is a mad man, and a mad man is not going to be my monarch. I will sooner kill him than allow it." Sookie chuckled. "I take it you also heard the bit about my childe?"

"I did, but let's talk about later. That little speech has got me all hot and bothered." She crawled on all fours towards him before pushing him backward and straddling his waist. "Let's complete this bond." She whispered before her lips met his own.


	15. Chapter 15

"So, can they read the minds of vampires?" For some bizarre reason, the thought hadn't occurred to Eric.

"I don't know, but I strongly suspect they can." It explained so much. Sookie had given him a wide berth from the get-go. Even in the early days of her employment when he tried to change her opinion of him. Clearly, she read his mind and knew the things he was genuinely thinking significantly differed to what he was saying. He never truly stood a chance. Even now he still could feel nothing. Maybe if he was closer to Bon Temps.

"What did you find at Compton's." He asked Pam.

"Nothing." He looked up at her. "And no, I didn't detect anyone at his house. If he had anything, then he didn't keep it there."

"That is unfortunate." He muttered angrily.

"Do you truly believe he had information on the Stackhouses?"

"I do. According to Sophie-Anne, it was something Compton was good at. He had even proposed a database that kept information on the lineages of all sups."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Pam asked in disbelief.

"Yes, when you are desperate for money you will do anything." He murmured. "Her desperation for Sookie was because she was hoping her gift of telepathy would bring in the funds the state was desperately short of."

"And yet because of Godric, Jason is out of the question as far as she is concerned." Though Pam would never say it out loud, she agreed with Sophie-Anne's stance on it. Godric was as feared as he was for good fucking reason. Her maker was playing with fire, and she feared his obsession with Sookie would get him in a kind of trouble he couldn't charm or buy his way out of.

"I'm sure you handle things tonight..." He stood getting ready to leave.

"What are we going to do about the missing money? In the last two weeks, a further three thousand dollars has gone missing." Pam asked. They had their suspicion as to who it was, but so far they've found no evidence to support it.

"I will think of something." He murmured.

"We could just ask Sookie to use her gift," Pam advised.

"And how did we come by the information?" Eric asked with a raised eyebrow.

"If Godric killed Compton then Sookie knew the queen sent him and why? Sophie-Anne told you, and that is how you came by the information."

"I will think about it." Somehow coming straight out and asking Sookie didn't satisfy Eric. For some reason he wanted her to be the one to reveal her gift of telepathy.

Eric took off into the night leaving his corvette behind. He had no intention of going home, and he couldn't hide if he drove. He headed straight for Bon Temps, desperate to see if his blood in her would allow him to feel anything from her. With Godric's side of the bond closed, he knew he could risk going to the farmhouse.

The night was proving to be one of revelations. He wasn't entirely surprised to find Thalia and Jason swimming in the pond behind the boy's house. He didn't waste time on them, he had always suspected something was going on with the two. On the other side of the large pond, there was his maker and his bonded. He didn't need to be closer to tell what was happening, what surprised him was the fact that he felt nothing from her. She was in the throes of sex and yet he felt nothing. He had angered his maker for nothing. He didn't stick around any further, the folly of his action weighing heavily on him. He had played his hand tipping of his maker and Sookie and had gained nothing. Yet Eric would not concede the game because for a thousand years he has never been denied what he wanted and he would get his chance with Sookie.

* * *

Pam wasn't the least bit surprised when she arrived at Fangtasia to find Eric there, she could feel his presence through the bond. The bar didn't open for a few more hours, but she was needed here to sign the papers confirming Godric and Sookie's bond. The vampire in question arrived before she got out of her van. What surprised her was the sight of Thalia and Jason hand in hand.

"Figured we might kill two birds with one stone and sign the necessary paperwork as well," Jason said with a wide smile. Pam stared at the pair in surprise. The entire time she had been teasing him about his failure with Thalia she had been wrong.

"You are bonded?" Surprise still marred her features.

"Even before these two," Jason admitted with the smuggest of smiles.

"Nicely played, Stackhouse." She said with a chuckle. "Let's go to my office." The sight of Desmond Cataliades sat at the bar didn't surprise Pam. Godric could undoubtedly afford the half-demon lawyer.

"Mr. Cataliades, good evening." Pam greeted.

"Miss De Beaufort, good evening. Could I use your office to talk to my clients for a few minutes before we sign the papers?"

"Yes, please go ahead." Pam watched as Godric lead Desmond to her office. She grabbed a bottle of true blood at the back of the bar and soon it was drained. With a sigh, she grabbed another. Upon seeing the demon lawyer, she had recalled Sookie's scent when the car hit her. The very scent she would have to smell again to see if the bond was complete.

"Don't worry, with Desmond there you should be fine," Eric said as he stepped out of his office.

"Did you know about Jason and Thalia?"

"I suspected." He said omitting the fact that two nights ago he had seen the pair frolicking in a pond behind the boy's property. "It is a good thing the queen has no interest in him because Thalia is not a vampire she would want to cross not after angering Godric," Eric said with a humorless chuckle.

Pam couldn't help but wonder if Eric was acting obtuse to the fact that, that was a position he was in. He had angered both Godric and Thalia with giving Sookie is blood knowing full well Godric was in the car park.

"Sookie, Jason... I have to say it is an absolute delight to see you two again." The pair looked perplexed, so did Godric and Thalia. "I am Niall's lawyer, on this realm at least." He clarified.

"Oh." Was the only response Sookie managed. She could also feel Godric's surprise at the news.

"Do you remember just before Jason's fifteenth birthday your gran brought you and your cousin to Shreveport?"

"Yes, she left us in the reception area for almost two hours," Jason said, his annoyance about that day hadn't waned.

"Yes, with you soon turning fifteen you were soon to inherit the journals and chests from Niall. Before Niall disappeared, he had entrusted me with the items, which was pass to the first of his descendant who showed signs of inheriting Fairy powers. Especially female descendants." Warlow was still a threat. "I met you two when you were young and immediately knew the journals and the chests would be yours. " Desmond explained.

"That explains why I never saw them in the attic, then days after my fifteenth birthday there they were." Jason chuckled. "It was Sook that discovered the stuff."

"Actually, gran send me up there to get something I can't for the life of me now remember, apparently she had asked you, but you hadn't gone up." Sookie reminded him.

"Oh yeah." Jason murmured remembering he had procrastinated on that particular task.

"Was all part of the plan," Desmond admitted. "The moment I confirmed your Fairy abilities the chest and journals would be magically transported to the attic on Jason's fifteenth birthday," Desmond added. "It is good to see you two and know it all worked out. I had feared with your immortality finding partners would be difficult for you in the long run. Okay, let's get down to business." Desmond opened the door and called for pam.

Before Pam could steel herself, she realized the siblings smelled slightly sweeter than usual and she could also smell their respective vampire's blood in them. Yep, they were bonded, and she was grateful to them for masking their scents. "Godric, Thalia, fill out the first page, then sign here and here and we are done." She said pointing to the boxes she wanted signed. She filled out her part and was soon done.

"Excellent." Desmond cheered. "I will get this to the queen." The papers disappeared the second the words left his mouth. Pam knew Eric not seeing the paperwork before it was sent off would anger him, but she could hardly bring herself to care. "Thank you, Miss De Beaufort."

Pam nodded before turning her attention to Sookie. "Are you back at work?"

"Yes." She departed the office with Jason, Thalia, and Pam in tow. Sookie knew Godric had a long discussion with the queen, and with Desmond been both their lawyers, it would be prudent to have him there. She did wonder about the conflict of interest with the same layer presenting two clients in the same matter.

Her shift went swimmingly well; she was quite taken aback by the love she received from the patrons. Most wondered if she was well enough to be back behind the bar after getting hit by a car. Even Crystal showed genuine concern for her health.

Threats were made to the young driver's life, which she had to curtail least someone actually followed through. Sometime during the evening, Pam asked all vampires in the area to stay after the bar closed.

She was wiping down the bar when Godric appeared from the office. "Sookie." He put his hand out for her. She jumped over the bar and joined him up on the dais. "I will like all vampires in the area to know that myself and Sookie are now bonded." The news didn't come as a surprise to many. In fact, the news was received with rapturous applause and wolf whistles.

"Thank you all," Godric said after the cheers died down. "Now, I will like to in some way acknowledge some human tradition for my bonded " He added taking out a small box. The box contained a princess cut diamond ring set in a white gold band.

"I'll be damned." Sookie murmured at the sight of the ring. This was unexpected, but she gladly accepted the ring as Godric put it on her ring finger. "It's beautiful, thank you." She said before planting a kiss on his lips. Despite the short and sweet nature of the kiss, it didn't prevent the vampires present from catcalling.

Just before getting off the dais Sookie decided she couldn't be the only one with big news. "I believe Thalia has got some great news to share as well." Thalia was about to ignore the announcement, but the beaming smile on Jason's face made her acquiesce.

Sookie was gone before Thalia could threaten her.

"Dear, I'm afraid my meeting with Desmond will take a few more hours. It's not just about the phone call I received yesterday. I also have to get a few things in order."

"No, that's fine. I can drive your fancy car home." She teased as she fished his keys out of his front pocket purposefully touching his cock as she did so. He growled in response earning a laugh from her.

She was met with congratulations from Brenda and Ginger who fussed over her ring. She wasn't surprised by the glare she got from Yvetta.

* * *

Sookie knew the best thing to do was walk away after all Yvetta hated her and made no effort to hide it. Yet Sookie found herself walking over to the crying woman to offer her help. "I am going to regret it, and I know it." She muttered as she walked over. "Are you alright... do you need any help?" Yvetta lifted her head and stared at Sookie in shock.

"Why would you help me?" Yvetta's shock was still prevalent on her face.

"Because you look like you could do with the help. Your car won't start, and you don't want to be out here by yourself at this time of the night. Come, I will take you home." Sookie knew it was more than that. Eric had left the bar at the same time Yvetta had tried to start her car. He was well aware the dancer's car wouldn't start, and yet he sped past her in his Corvette without hesitation.

The drive took Sookie in the opposite direction of her home, but that didn't bother her as much as it seemed to bother Yvetta. "You drop me off anywhere... I can get the bus or a cab whichever comes first."

"It's not that much of an inconvenience to take you home," Sookie said with a shrug.

"I have been nothing but rude and hateful to you, and yet you were the only one who offered me help." Sookie could hear the shame in her voice.

"Maybe you haven't noticed, but your behavior is no skin off my nose." Yvetta looked as Godric did when an idiom meant nothing to him. "I don't care about your attitude towards me. It makes no difference to my life. I also know you feel that way because you want more from Eric and he is unwilling to give you that. Worse, he is infatuated with me, and I don't give him an inch. Frankly, you hating me is downright laughable. One, I don't want Eric, and he knows it. Two, you know he's using you for sex and blood, and yet you continue to indulge him."

"If you left he will." Sookie could hear the shame and desperation in her voice.

"Let me get this straight." Sookie turned to look at her for the first time. "You want me to leave the only job that pays me a decent amount. That job allows me to care for my grandmother. Take care of the roof over our head that was falling apart and better yet, affords me a college education. You want me to leave my job so that a narcissistic vampire of a whore who only cares about the next hole his cock goes into will look at you as more than a receptacle. That is what you are saying or am I wrong?" Sookie for the first time glared at her. Yes, she was bonded to Godric who was one of the wealthiest beings on earth. The man was incredibly savvy when it came to money and investments, but that was beside the point.

Yvetta averted her eyes realizing just how stupid and conceited she sounded. "What do you think he's doing right now? You aren't the only one. He was a whore before I showed up and he will still be one after I'm gone. So no, I'm not leaving my job in hopes that Eric Northman will see you as more." Sookie pulled over sharply. "We are here." She muttered angrily. Leave her job, had this woman taken leave of her senses.

"Thank you... sorry," Yvetta mumbled quickly getting out of the car. As she watched Sookie's car disappear into the distance, she wondered when she became that woman. The one that hated another because they had what she wanted. Had she really expected Sookie to quit her job just so Eric would look at her for once. It was time to move on. She doubted Eric would even notice if she didn't show up.


	16. Chapter 16

"If there is one thing I miss about being human is the ability to get completely inebriated." Godric heard Thalia say as he walked into the house.

"Babe, why can't you just say drunk?" Jason grumbled.

"Inebriated is more common on our tongue at our age. The word drunk is only a couple of centuries old... at least in terms of using it as part of the English language." Godric interjected.

"Aren't most words." Jason challenged.

"Inebriated, If I remember correctly is Latin." Jason's eyes widen. "You were speaking Latin before English."

"We were," Thalia answered. "Anyway the English language has its basis in old English which was a West Germanic language and Latin and bits and pieces of other older languages. The English language is quite young compared to Sumerian, Aramaic, Sanskrit, Latin, Tamil... the list goes on." She finished.

"Yeah, but Godric somehow sounds more modern than you do and he's older than you." Jason lifted an eyebrow at his bonded.

"He makes an effort... I don't." Thalia replied with a raised eyebrow of her own. "Have a problem with that?"

"No, Hoyt wants to meet ya, and I can just imagine your conversation with him." Jason murmured. Sookie let out a snort of laughter at the thought.

"So is everything squared away with Sophie-Anne?"

"Yes, I have loaned the crown two billion dollars..." Jason started choking on his own saliva; Sookie just stared at Godric in disbelief. She knew he had money, but not so much as loan someone two billion dollars.

"I'm sorry... I'm sure you just said two billion as in with a B." Jason whispered.

"Yes, she has a great many debts to settle and to stop the likes of Edgington and Threadgill, the state needs to be able to show it has a significant amount of money in its purse and therefore does not need help."

"Fuck me." Jason murmured. "So how are you for money now?" He asked earning an eye roll from Sookie.

"I still have sufficient funds to manage," Godric answered with a chuckle.

"I thought Thalia was loaded, but this..." He let out a loud whistle that had everyone holding their ears. "Sorry, I forget sometimes." He added sheepishly. "I don't envy the amount of paperwork Sook got to sign."

"What paperwork?" Sookie stared at Godric.

"That was the other thing I needed to talk to Desmond about. Now that we are officially bonded I do believe it is prudent to make you aware of my assets and give you access to them."

"Why?" He bit his lip to stop the smile threatening to spread across his face. Most people knowing he had that much money to loan 2 billion would have asked when they could sign the papers not why.

"In case of an emergency, you have access to the necessary funds to..." He waved his arms about.

"You don't even know why I need to have access." Sookie accused.

"If our positions were reversed..." He didn't need to finish his sentence as he saw her look of resignation.

"Yeah, Thalia used that same reserve psychology crap on me." Jason groused as he grabbed a bottle of whiskey.

"Desmond will be here tomorrow night before you go to work with the necessary paperwork."

"I'm not working tomorrow night, but sure, I still don't see why it's necessary." She continued to argue.

"Because you are bonded," Godric answered.

"Wanna try some." Jason handed Thalia a glass half full of whiskey, she ignored him and turned to Godric.

"I am concerned about what the sheriff plans to do with his knowledge of you been a telepath."

"I have wondered about that. So far, he's still ignoring me." Sookie added.

"Well, with that bartender stealing from him... that's what he'd use." That got everyone's attention.

"Jase, what are you talking about?" Sookie stared at her brother.

"That vampire bartender, that shadow guy..."

"Longshadow," Godric confirmed.

"Yeah, him... he's got that waitress, Ginger stealing for him. She doesn't hand over every money at the end of the night."

"How do you know?" Thalia asked.

"She's been pocketing a few dollars here and there. I noticed it the few times I was there. Now, I've been watching her, and it's every single time I'm there. I can also guarantee you Eric knows, even if he's not entirely sure how he's doing it, he has some idea of what is going on." Jason stared at them. "Guys, it's my job to notice these things, don't be so surprised." He took a sip of his whiskey.

"I have to admit, I'm interested in seeing how he'd play this," Sookie admitted with a chuckle at the look of annoyance on Godric's face. "Well, I'm off to bed. I have classes in the afternoon." She left the three talking in the kitchen.

* * *

Sookie pulled up outside Merlotte's, with class canceled, she decided to indulge in one of Lala's burgers before heading home. She'd meant to get one for weeks but never got round to it. "Hey Sook." Arlene greeted. "You staying?"

"Yeah, could murder a burger and a vanilla shake."

"Okay, coming right up." Arlene chirped. "Erm... Arlene, how are things with Rene?" Sookie whispered.

"Not good, I kicked him out. He hates vampires, and he is entitled to how he feels, and I respect that, but you'd think he return the courtesy." Sookie wholeheartedly understood. "Worse thing, when you ask him why he hates them so much he can't tell ya. Had enough of his bullshit. If Jesus can befriend a vampire, who am I to hate them. Last I check the bible weren't trying to get me to hate anyone."

"Amen." Sookie returned. She had to admit Godric's story had had an impact she never expected. Even Crystal, an active member of FOTS church, was currently in the middle of a crisis of faith.

"Well, if it ain't Miss College student." Lafayette teased as he placed Sookie's burger in front of her. "How has you been?" He asked taking a seat.

"Great, Laf, and you?"

"Oh, you know me." He chuckled.

"Yes, I do." She smirked at him before taking a bite of her burger.

"Great minds think alike," Jason said taking a couple of fries from her plate. "Aint you 'pose to be in class."

"Cancelled..."

"Oh fuck." Jason murmured looking away from the door. Sookie turned around to find Rene glaring at Jason.

"Oh, fuck indeed," Sookie whispered.

"Well, if it ain't the Stackhouses. Heard you two tied yourselves to a couple of bloodsuckers."

"Yes, we did." Sookie cheered.

"The best thing we could have ever done," Jason added. Rene stared at the pair of them in disbelief.

"Y'all couldn't find a couple of humans. You two about the most good looking people in Bon Temps. Jase, here is a celebrated cop, Sook getting herself an education and you telling me a pair of deaders was the best Y'all could do." Rene bellowed.

"Yep," Sookie responded getting back to her burger.

"Seriously, why do you have such a problem with them?" Sookie who was listening to Rene's thoughts finally heard it.

"What has your sister got to do with this?" Sookie asked although she already had the answer. She needed Rene to say it out loud.

"Get out of my head, whore." He sneered.

"Funny how when some men don't get their way results to calling a woman a whore, bitch, tramp anything to try and bring her down to their level." Sookie slurped on her shake.

"What has your sister got to do with this?" Jason reiterated putting every ounce of his power behind the question.

"The whore was fucking one of them... such a sweet girl, fucking a deader. So yeah, I put an end to that shit and killed her." Rene wasn't quite sure why he answered the question.

"Don't forget to add the fact that you raped her dead body," Sookie added nonchalantly. Someone threw up at that point, but everyone was too busy staring at Rene to look elsewhere.

"You can try to run, but you won't make it. So do yourself a favor and give yourself up." Jason warned. Minutes later the entire Bon Temps police department showed up with sirens blazing. Andy Bellefleur was front and center scowling at the sight of Jason taking his cuffs off Rene.

"He's all yours." Jason wasn't about to get into it with the sheriff, the man already had a problem with Jason for no reason other than Jason was apparently the better cop. Jason also knew the Monroe police department would be coming for Rene, as the murder was committed on their turf.

"Rightly so, he killed in Bon Temps, so he is ours," Andy said puffing out his chest.

"Actually, he killed in Monroe." Sookie offered ignoring his glare turning her attention to Arlene.

Hours later, that was were Godric found the two. Merlotte's was packed to the rafters with people desperate to hear what happened. Mrs. Fontenberry was front and center giving a blow-by-blow account as though she was present when it happened. "Arlene, I heard. Are you alright?" Godric asked.

"I'm fine. My only concern is that I allowed a murderer in my home. A home I share with my kids." She shivered thinking of the worst.

"Focus on the fact that your kids are fine. Don't dwell on the worse. He was arrested and will be spending the rest of his life behind bars." Godric would make sure the man never saw the light of day.

Several hours later, Sookie finally made it home with Godric and Jason in tow.

"So, it's true," Adele asked as Sookie collapsed on the couch.

"Yes, the boy killed his sister for been with a vampire," Godric answered.

"He saw the bite marks on her, and that was it. He doesn't seem to have a real reason for hating vampires outside of that." Sookie murmured.

"If you ask me it was the excuse he was looking for. I believe he more than likely had a thing for his sister, and it wouldn't have mattered who she'd slept with. Raping her dead body was proof enough." Jason's theory made too much sense to ignore.

* * *

"Sixty-five thousand dollars has gone missing from our accounts. A small amount of money is missing when we count at the end of each night. Of course, we only learned of this when we when did the inventory at the end of the month. This has been going on for the last three months, and tonight it stops." Eric growled as he stared down at his staff menacingly. Sookie had been waiting for this for the last week. The whole affair smacked of something you'd find in a melodrama on daytime TV. She was surprised he'd waited that long to pull this shit. She managed to stop her eyes from rolling, but what she didn't manage was the yawn that left her. "Am I boring you, Miss Stackhouse?" Eric asked his eyes boring into her not that she gave a fuck.

"I am also bored with this charade," Godric announced pulling Eric out of his staring contest with Sookie. "You already know who the culprit is, so what is the point of this." Pam from her corner sighed in resignation. She knew this was a pointless exercise as Godric wasn't going to stand for it, and there it was. "I do believe we can leave now or do you have another performance for us?" Eric didn't get a chance to respond as Longshadow leaped over the bar and attacked. Eric, who had several centuries on Longshadow, dispatched him without effort.

Everyone stared at Eric who was covered in Longshadow's remains as Ginger screamed the house down. "Ginger, shut up," Pam ordered. Ginger clamped her mouth shut as though she had been glamoured.

"All this could have been avoided had you not felt the need to make a spectacle out of this. " Godric stared at his childe in disgust. "You can all go home," Godric ordered, although it was Eric's employee's he didn't argue. Effectively Eric was left to clean the mess, a mess he had made.

Pam had kindly helped him clean up the remains of Longshadow without a word. He knew she didn't agree with a lot of his machinations when it came to Sookie but stood by him anyway. Indeed, he should have told Sookie he knew of her telepathy and asked for help outing Longshadow. In the end, Longshadow revealed himself to be the thief. He could have called Longshadow's maker, but instead, he called the magister and reported the incident. Revealing that Godric had been present had helped with the magister.

He had made a complete fool of himself, and he knew it. Of all the ways he saw the night going, how things had actually transpired wasn't one of them. He'd never once taken into account they would know he already knew Longshadow was the culprit.

He pulled a phone out of the desk drawer and dialed. It rang longer than usual, and that didn't surprise him, but in the end, it was answered. "Yvetta, meet me at the apartment." He refused to acknowledge his leaving her a few nights ago knowing she had no transport. In his defense, not seeing the paperwork regarding Godric's bond to Sookie had annoyed him more than he could understand. No one in all the time he'd been sheriff had ever felt the need to have a lawyer present when signing the paperwork. When Pam had admitted not seeing what Desmond added before sending off the paperwork had added to his ire.

"I will be there soon." He sighed in relief. He had been prepared to grovel and concoct some story as to his behavior that night, but alas, it was not needed.

"Excellent." He purred before hanging up.

He drove to the apartment like a man possessed, and was there in record time. He took his time taking a shower and setting up the scene. After the humiliation he had endured tonight he needed to vent in a way only Yvetta could handle. He planned out the scene in his head, the entire time imagining Sookie in Yvetta's place.

Two hours went by before he realized she had no intention of coming to the apartment. He tried calling her, and to his surprise, she answered. "Where are you?" He forced through gritted teeth.

"I got dressed, left the apartment and got outside only to remember I don't have a car." There it was.

"Take a cab I will pay for the fare." He replied nonchalantly.

"Okay then." She said hanging up. Eric stared at the phone recalling she hadn't been to work in the last few days. He sighed knowing she wasn't coming and had just been stringing him along. He couldn't wait for the fucking night to be over.


	17. Chapter 17

_Pam stood on the balcony and sipped her drink. The blood was divine on her tongue; it was better than anything she had tasted in years. Human blood was vastly affected by the abundance of processed food, the wide availability of alcohol and drugs. Whatever Russell had done to the blood, it had purified it._

 _She heard their voices again as they laughed, and she knew what she had to do. It was a betrayal like no other, but she could not allow this to happen. So as quietly as she could manage she made her way out of the room she'd found herself in, down the hall and back to the party. Before she got to the grand ballroom, she found the very person she was looking for. "Godric." She whispered, her voice breaking with the weight of what she was about to do._

" _I know... I had hoped he would come to me, but it appears he has made his choice. Unfortunately for him, he has already been betrayed." Godric's voice was flat, none of the anger Pam was expecting._

* * *

As Eric pulled on his jacket, his mind drifted back to the last time he had worn a tux. Well, it wasn't a tux in the modern traditional fashion, it was some hideous assembly with more ruffles than any person had a right to wear, especially a male of any species. He allowed himself a small chuckle at the thought of that night. That night had ended with him fucking more people in one night than he ever thought possible. It was rather unfortunate he had to kill so many as well. He had been careless, and innocent lives had paid for it. It was also the night that sobered him somewhat. He hadn't taken a life needlessly since that night.

He forced his thoughts back to the present day as he set the security alarm and headed for the Corvette. For the first time in five and a half weeks, he would see Pamela again. The night he made a fool of himself in front of everyone that mattered she had disappeared. While Yvetta was giving him the runaround, Pam was on her way out of the country. She left a note saying she needed a break and nothing else. He had no idea where she had gone, and hopefully tonight she would tell him. It wasn't the first time he and Pam had gone their separate ways, but it was the first time she had left him in that manner, and the first time he had feared never seeing her again.

The drive to hers didn't take long, the minute he switched off the ignition she was out the door and locking it behind her. She was on time, which was a rarity for her even for an event of such magnitude. Still, he stepped out the car to greet her, his smile was wide at the sight of her. "Pam, welcome back. I trust you had a wonderful time."

"Yes, I did. It was a well-earned break." In truth, she had been bored out of her skull. There was only so much shopping one could do before it became monotonous. It went to show just how much shopping she did. She had no appetite for anything else. She'd even met a wonderful vampire, yet she found she could not fully enjoy her presence. Paris, for the first time in Pam's existence, had felt like a noose around her neck.

The drive to the Stackhouse's farmhouse was done in silence, a choking uncomfortable silence. Just before Eric turned into the newly paved driveway that led to the farmhouse, he turned to Pam. "I'm done. I was chasing something that didn't want me. I was chasing someone who saw me as something to be scraped off the bottom of her cheap boots. I felt this driving need to lower her, make her yield, I wanted to punish her for making me feel small. Then I wanted her because she was unattainable. If Godric could have her, why couldn't I. Then it became an obsession to know what she was. Maybe if I knew that, it wouldn't feel so... indignant to know she made me feel that way. Well, I managed to make myself feel smaller than she ever made me feel. I'm done... Sookie Stackhouse can be whatever she wants and do whatever she wants with whomever... I no longer care." He meant every single word of it, and Pam knew it too.

"It's a shame it took you humiliating yourself in such a grand fashion to see sense, but I'm happy you did." She smiled at him for the first time, and he felt his non-beating heart soar.

He parked in front of the garage as instructed and stepped out of the car before he made a move to get her door Pam was already out of the car. "It's rather nice." She whispered as she stared at the farmhouse. She had no idea what she expected, but the Stackhouse farmhouse was a large well built home with a porch that covered the front of the house. There were several comfortable chairs lined on the porch.

"It is." Eric agreed as he was truly seeing it for the first time. The last time he had been in the vicinity he was flying and paid little attention to anything.

He lifted Pam up bridal style and flew over the house to the back as instructed. Godric, it was clear no longer trusted him so much, so he wasn't even allowed to walk through the house to the backyard. His maker wasn't going to give him so much as an inch anymore. Both he and Pam was surprised by the sight of the helicopter on the Stackhouse lawn. Eric knew nothing about helicopters, but this was big and clearly designed with style and comfort in mind. It was a seven-seater helicopter. He landed by the pool just as Thalia came out with her trusted sword, followed by Jason, who had a sword strapped to his back as well.

"Pam, you are back." Jason was clearly happy to see Pam. It was obvious to Eric they'd be great friends if it weren't for him. Simply put, they didn't trust Eric and as a result, also kept Pam at a distance.

"Yes, it's good to be back. Paris was fun, but nothing beats been back home."

"Paris, I'd love to go there one day." Jason murmured

"We will go for Christmas," Thalia answered offhandedly.

"Sounds like a great idea," Sookie added joining them. "Pam, welcome back, you have been missed." Sookie would admit she missed Pam sarcastic disposition.

"Yes, I missed you too. I'm even more pissed I missed you having to shop for that gown." Sookie was in a red number that fitted her to perfection. Pam suspected it was tailor-made for Sookie.

"I did no such thing, so you missed nothing. It was delivered, it fit, so I'm wearing it." Sookie shrugged missing the smirk her bonded was spotting. Pam shook her head in exasperation, the fact that Sookie had missed the obviousness of a tailor-made gown didn't surprise her in the least. The girl gave zero fucks about fashion.

"Let's go, we have a queen to pick up." That came as a surprise to both Eric and Pam. That explained the swords Jason and Thalia were wearing. He should clearly be wearing one, but again he was reminded of the complete lack of trust his maker had in him.

The flight took just under two hours to arrive at the queen's residence. Something about all this didn't sit well with Eric. He was flying blind, and he didn't like it at all. They were met by some of the queen's guards who simply acknowledged them, but said nothing.

Sophie-Anne was dressed and waiting for them. "Godric, thank you for doing this." She was well aware of the fact that he was doing all this for his bonded and her family and she was grateful for it nonetheless.

"Louisiana is now home and remains home as long as it stands so it will stand. Thalia and Jason will be keeping their eyes on you tonight. Do me a favor, do not do anything against their advice. If they say we are leaving we are leaving, it doesn't matter if God himself is in the middle of a conversation with you." Godric warned.

"Understood," Sophie-Anne said with a nod. "Miss Stackhouse, I would like to apologize for the disruption I caused in your life. Even when I was aware of who you were, I still persisted. My apology may sound hollow, but I will give it all the same. I am truly sorry. Your very life and happiness ensure my existence. Thank you." Much to everyone's surprise, she bowed. Pam looked at Eric at a complete loss as to what was happening. He shrugged just as lost.

An hour later they landed on the lawn of Russell Edgington's ostentatious mansion. Russell was celebrating his consort's seven hundredth year as a vampire. The whole event was one grandiose affair that had been going on all week and ended that night with a lavish black-tie affair.

"She can't be that broke if she makes this short a trip in a fucking helicopter," Talbot whispered. Russell's thoughts run along the same line as he stared at Sophie-Anne and her entourage, surprise to find two humans... that thought slammed to a halt when he finally got a whiff of them. Fairies, he'd know that smell anywhere no matter how muted.

"Sophie-Anne, welcome to our grand abode for this glorious night of celebration." Sophie-Anne managed to keep her cordial smile despite that condescending greeting.

"Yes, it is quite the show." She drawled.

"Not as showy as your arrival." Russell groused.

"Blame my new advisor." She waved her hand in Godric's direction. Russell lazily rolled his eyes over to the advisor only for his mouth to suddenly go dry.

"Godric, now this is a surprise. I had no idea you changed careers." Russell said nonchalantly, but deep down this was a development that incensed him greatly. Louisiana was off the table with Godric now part of Sophie-Anne's court.

"Yes, well you do what it takes to secure your world especially when it contains such wonderful creatures." He said staring at Sookie. "Russell this is my bonded, Sookie Stackhouse and her brother Jason, Thalia's bonded. Sookie, Jason, this is Russell Edgington, King of Mississippi.

"You bonded to humans." He said knowing full well they weren't entirely human. His usual sneer when he said the word humans was no were to be heard tipping Godric off to the fact that he knew what the siblings where.

"Come come, Russell, you know that is not entirely true." Godric boldly said surprising Eric and Pam. There was no point in playing games when the cat was already out of the bag. Russell knew, and Godric wasn't going to pretend otherwise.

Sookie dropped her mask for a nano-second, earning growls from Talbot and Pam. "Darling, this is not the place for such games." Godric admonished with a smile.

"I couldn't help myself." She purred earning a chuckle from Jason. He had thought about doing the same thing, but the pinch he felt from Thalia was warning enough.

"Well, enjoy your evening," Russell said with a smile that belied his true feelings.

"What was that about? And that smell, that could not possibly be her." Talbot whispered.

"It was. Excuse me for a minute." Russell vamped to his office before Talbot could object. "Get the boys ready and lined up at the edge of the property in two hours and await further instruction." He took a deep unneeded breath and before making his way back out. He stood back watching vampires with their human pets mill about in his ballroom. But nothing grabbed his attention as much as Sophie-Anne's party. He watched them with unbridled lust aimed at Jason Stackhouse. He caught Godric's eye and quickly looked away, his eyes finding Talbot, who was shamelessly flirting with the Viking. It was clear Eric's attention was elsewhere, and Russell quickly surmised where that attention was. In fact, the more he watched the Viking, the more a few things became clear. He chuckled to himself as he made his way towards Talbot and the Viking. He had an ally that much he was sure off. The Viking, he was sure hated his maker, after all, he wouldn't be the first vampire to feel that way about their maker.

For the better part of two thousand years, Russell had searched for one thing. Fairies, and in one night two walk into his den. Yes, they were bonded to two powerful vampires, but that was not going to stop him. He would have Jason Stackhouse in his grasps if it were the last thing he did.


	18. Chapter 18

The smile slowly faded as Eric moved slowly towards a crown, his father's crown. "And this." He asked as he moved the crown towards him for a better look.

"Some Random tribal crown... he must have a hundred of them. This one is Seetiyan, I think." Talbot answered flippantly little realizing the emotional turmoil brewing in the Viking.

"Viking." Eric almost growled in answer. "It's beautiful." He said after a second. In that second Eric Northman had relived the death of his family.

"There you are." Russell intoned cheerfully.

"Yes, here we are," Talbot muttered.

"Talbot was showing me your impressive collection. I hear this is just the tip of the iceberg."

"It is," Russell answered.

"We should get back to the party, it certainly doesn't look good for both hosts to disappear." Talbot strolled out of the office thinking the other two would follow.

"I just need to have a word with Eric, we will be there soon." Russell drawled shutting the door before Talbot could throw another hissy fit. Russell turned to find Eric still staring at his father's crown, but he was preoccupied with own want to notice anything amiss. "Must be thrilling to have your maker living in the same state as you. Everyone knows Godric as a fine maker... unlike my own. I must say it is a surprise to find him bonded to a Fairy. It must take quite the effort to control his thirst around such a delightful specimen." It took Eric a second to realize Russell had just revealed Sookie's species. Having never come across a Fairy due to Godric's warning, Eric would never have known unless informed.

"Yes, if I had someone that powerful in love with me I'd be bonded to them too. It's as the humans say... a no brainer."

"Powerful?" Russell nonchalance wasn't fooling Eric. He had noticed the way Russell stared at Jason.

"Incredibly so. They are as fast as we are, and just as strong with a host of powers to boot." Eric chuckled. "They are telepathic, the brother I also believe has an additional mind gift, but I haven't figured it out entirely."

"So, the rumors about Sophie-Anne getting a telepath weren't so farfetched after all." Russell was now regretting killing his spy.

"Far from it, she didn't know the brother was also one until I informed her, but I believe she already had a deal with Godric so wasn't interested."

"Fairies are a secretive lot by nature, but there has been the odd whisper about their telepathy, but I never truly believed it." Russell chuckled." Now, I do know without a shadow of a doubt their blood allows you to walk in the sun. That was how my maker met his end. He had drained a Fairy just before dawn; I had just managed to make it out of the sun when the Fairy's kin came for my maker. He was so drunk on the blood he died with a smile on his face." Eric could not hide his shock about this revelation. "Ahh, I see you didn't know. Yes, their blood is a thing of pure magic. If what you say about the pair is true, their's would be just the thing a vampire would need to see the sun for a few minutes each day. I'm not stupid... my maker's mistake was draining the Fairy right there and then. No, he should have held him captive... an endless supply of sunlight at his fingertips." Russell was talking as though he already had Jason, but Eric was too caught in using this against Russell to see there was something else at play.

"Yeah, they like to play human, but the girl's accident gave it away. They had always masked their scents, but not long ago the girl was hit by a very fast moving car... a hit that would have killed any human, more than likely render a vampire incapacitated for hours. She walked away with a cut on her forehead, a head that slammed down on concrete from a great height. Incredibly... we all watched as she began to heal in front of us. Within minutes there was a little blood, the only prove anything had happened." Eric was determined to use this to his advantage. "I had wanted her for so long, and then Godric turns up and... she just fell into his arms. A year and a half of working my way into her good books wasted." Eric lamented hoping to draw Russell in.

"Not all fairies have the ability to mask their scent," Russell whispered, speaking more to himself than Eric.

"I wouldn't know," Eric muttered.

"No, I guess you wouldn't. The Fairy my maker drained had no such ability. They must be high born." Russell murmured causing Eric' eyes to widen in realization.

"Sophie-Anne bowed to them this evening. I was shocked and confused by the gesture, but now it makes perfect sense. " Eric stood. "She knew exactly who and what they are."

"A vampire monarch will only bow in the presence..."

"Of a true monarch." Eric finished. Everyone knew the vampire titles of kings and queens were self-appointed titles and not a birthright. Oh, a minuscule amount of vampire monarchs were true kings and queens in their human years, but of course, lost those titles with their supposed deaths.

"Those get interesting by the second." Russell chuckled. "Do you want the girl, Viking?" Russell asked the question Eric had been waiting for.

"For some time now, and you want the boy." He countered.

"I do, I propose we meet soon and work on a plan that guarantees us just that." Eric smiled, it was a genuine smile as he could now see Russell's demise was a thing of certainty.

* * *

"Okay, this human needs to find the bathroom. " Sookie whispered to Godric.

"I'm sure we can find one somewhere." The two made their way out of the ballroom running into one of Russell's humans.

"Could you show us where to find a bathroom?" Sookie asked with a smile that had the scowling human lips twitching into something that resembled a smile.

"Sure, just off the foyer to the left." He answered.

"Thank you." Sookie was eager to get to the bathroom, but Godric had stopped, and his features had contorted into anger. Sookie could feel the rage Godric that was welling up in Godric. It soon became obvious Godric was listening to something. Despite her desperate need for the bathroom, she stood there watching her bonded whose anger and rage had turned to hurt and betrayal.

"Go." He whispered. She hesitated. "Go, I need to listen to this. I will explain later." With a nod, Sookie disappeared down the hall and soon found the bathroom.

When she reappeared, Godric was further down the hall sat on a chaise lounge that decorated the hallway. "Godric..."

"Eric is telling Russell all about you and Jason. It appears Russell wants Jason and Eric is going to help him in hopes..."

"Of getting me." Sookie finished. Godric simple nodded but deep down hoping there was more to the story as he had struggled to hear everything. He was praying there was something he had missed that would explain all this. Had it not been for his age he wouldn't have heard a word of their conversation, he could have sworn there was a ward of some kind around Russell's office, but the magic was clearly fading, or it wasn't all that strong to begin with.

"Fuck a duck," Sookie muttered. Godric could feel her fear. "There are about thirty weres on the edge of the property. We need to go back to the ballroom so I can hear them." Finally, Godric understood what was happening.

"There is no need. They are here for us. It appears Russell is planning on betraying Eric. He is not going to wait to take Jason. This is why he had our helicopter moved." Godric chuckled shaking his head in disbelief. "Eric's motives aren't as straight forward as they appeared." Sookie looked at him in confusion. "I will explain when we get home. Come on, we are about to prove your telepathy to Russell. Since he knows everything, there is no point in playing games."

"Godric," Pam whispered. Godric could tell she knew as well. How, he had no idea, considering he had struggled to hear them.

"I know... I had hoped he would come to me, but it appears he has made his choice. Unfortunately for him, he has already been betrayed." Godric's voice was flat, his anger had deserted him, he had just had enough of his childe.

Sookie was about to send her feelings of distress to Jason when he Thalia and Sophie- Anne all showed up. Godric wasted no time. "There are currently thirty weres on the edge of the property waiting for us. Russell wants Jason and is willing to sacrifice his wolves for him. There is more to the story but now is not the time. Just know Russell knows you two are Fairies..." Pam gasped. "He also knows about Sookie's telepathy, and we are going to use that to get out of here safely and without a single drop of blood shed." Godric was looking at Thalia and Jason when he said that. Sookie had to chuckle at their look of disappointment. Thalia was more so angry than anything else. Someone wanted her bonded and she was not going to stand by and let it happen.

The contingent made it's way to Russell office knocking loudly. "Godric." Russell looked a little worried. "We have a problem, there are about thirty werewolves on the edge of your property waiting to attack." Russell internally kicked himself, he had no knowledge of the pair telepathy and therefore hadn't taken that into account. He wasn't about to admit the wolves were his since he had no idea what the pair had heard.

"Did you hear anything in particular?" He asked looking at Jason.

"No, they are waiting for instructions," Jason answered perpetuating the idea that he was also a telepath. Sookie was glaring at Eric; he feared she might know what he had done. He was working hard on not thinking about his conversation with Russell.

"I do not know why weres would want to attack this compound if that is the idea, I believe it will be safer if we left now. You want to inform your other guest into doing the same." Godric advised. Russell knew he had fucked up monumentally, Talbot will never forgive him for this. He had to go in there and lie, Talbot will know just that as he knew the wolves were Russell's.

"Thalia, call the pilot, tell him to land on the front lawn we are leaving," Godric ordered. Russell walked out with them hoping they would be gone to avoid ending the ball. Sookie feeling vindictive wasn't going to allow Russell to walk away from this tonight. "Godric, I think it would be best to go in there in Russell and help him with this."

"That would not be necessary." Russell drawled his southern accent thickening.

"Don't be silly, it's the least we could do. I get the distinct feeling they were after us. Of all the places to hide, they chose to do so close to our mode of transport." Sookie added.

"I have to agree with you there," Thalia said. "That fact has concerned me since learning of it. But... in case we are wrong it will be best to make sure all your guest leave as one, after all, there is safety in numbers."

* * *

The journey back to the queen's compound was made in silence. Eric was sure the reason was him. Godric hadn't once looked at him, and Pam had gone back to her cold demeanor. If his suspicion was correct, he was fucked, and he knew it. Despite his reasons, Godric and Thalia would never forgive him for using their bonded. He had made a colossal mistake, and he now knew it. They arrived in no time, and Godric asked to have a word with Sophie-Anne.

For half an hour they sat in the helicopter waiting for Godric. "It's a real shame we didn't get to cut a few wolves up." Jason murmured.

"I concur." Thalia piped up.

"Let's be real, Russell isn't going to give up his pursuit of you so you will more than likely get a chance to cut a few wolves up," Sookie added her two cents.

"You are right." Jason cheered. At that moment, Eric realized Russell had intended to double cross him. Sookie stared at him as though she knew the thought that had passed through his mind. In truth, she had simply done so in hoping he would have put two and two together.

Godric appeared then, and the helicopter took off for Bon temps were planning for Russell Edgington's demise could begin.


	19. Chapter 19

"YOU WERE DONE WITH YOUR PURSUIT OF SOOKIE STACKHOUSE." Pam bellowed the minute the two entered her home.

"I was." Eric returned in near whisper.

"So what changed?" Pam sneered. With a grunt, Eric relayed the story of the demise of his human family.

"And you think Russell is responsible."

"I know it, the wolves are proof of that," Eric growled.

"But you didn't know about the wolves before you spoke to Russell. You didn't know about the wolves before you made Jason Stackhouse a target." Pam was barely keeping her anger in check. That reminder brought Eric up short.

"No, I didn't... I saw my father's crown, and I lost all reason."

"So that is your excuse?" Pam scoffed in derision. "Instead of using Russell's interest to get back in Godric's good graces you used it instead to..." She sighed. "Your maker now believes you have betrayed him. With no concrete evidence that Russell was the vampire that killed your family, you put a target on all of our backs when there was little evidence to believe Russell killed your family. Even knowing about the wolves, changes nothing. Russell could simply be another vampire with Wolves at his beck and call. Europe is full of them. Russell could have killed another for that crown. He could have purchased it. There are a million reasons as to why Russell Edgington had your father's crown, and without knowing how he got it, you put your plan into motion..." She chuckled. "Worse, he had every intention of betraying you. Russell knew there was no way he could get Jason without killing Thalia, Godric, and Sookie. He also knew the minute he killed Godric, he would have to kill you too." As every one of Pam's words slammed into him, Eric without a word staggered out of the door and took to the air.

He had to get to Bon Temps, he had to get to Godric and somehow repair the damage he had done. That is if Thalia didn't kill him first.

 _It will be a miracle if I don't lose a limb tonight._

He flew faster than he had ever managed as he made it to the farmhouse in no time at all. He landed on the front steps leading to the porch; he could hear Godric and Alcide talking. The conversation abruptly stopped before he could take a step. "It's Eric." He heard Sookie say.

The front door opened and he came face to face with Jason Stackhouse. He wondered if he'd have the chance to explain before someone aimed a weapon at him. "Jason, let him in." A voice he didn't recognize insisted. Jason Stackhouse with a scowl took a step back. "Come in, sheriff." He muttered through gritted teeth. He took a step inside the rather modern farmhouse. He noticed the entire downstairs area had light-tight shutters. Godric had truly found a home with the Stackhouses, for the first time since his maker moved to his area, he found he was truly happy for him. For once he could see past his own wants to appreciate the effects the bond with Sookie had on Godric.

A growl from Thalia pulled him back to the room, the reception could be described as frosty, which in truth was an understatement.

"I do understand everyone's anger, but Russell already knew what my grandchildren were. Yes, Eric here gave him more information than it was necessary to stoke his interest..." Adele raised an eyebrow at him then. "But I doubt anything he did would have stopped Russell's initial plans." Eric had never felt such gratitude in his life. Thanks to the Stackhouse matriarch he was still in one piece.

"What were you thinking?" There wasn't a hint of anger in Godric's voice.

"I wasn't... I saw my father's crown, and I lost all reason. All I could think about was after a thousand years I would finally have my vengeance.

Pam just reminded me of the fact that Russell could very well be not the vampire that killed my family." He admitted with some difficulty. To be so close and yet not have what he truly desired cut him deeply. He wanted it to be Russell, he wanted to have vengeance once and for all.

"He is," Godric answered. "That is why Alcide is here. He confirmed the branding on the wolves as the one belonging to Russell's wolves." Eric nodded relieved that his stupidity hadn't been entirely in vain. "Did you at any point notice Russell make a call or anything close to it?"

"No, he never moved when he sat down, and he didn't sit behind his desk either, so he was in full view."

"He called for the wolves the minute he realized what you two were." Adele mused out loud.

"What exactly are you?" Alcide asked.

"We are mostly human with a little bit of Fairy, but with a host of gifts," Sookie answered.

"Considering what I am I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. Fairies... just... it's just unbelievable." Alcide just stared at them.

"Yes well, now Russell wants Jason, and we all know it's not blood he wants." Sookie groused.

"Actually, it is what he wants the most. He believes your blood will allow him to walk in the sun even if it's just for a few minutes." Eric informed them.

"He really has lost it," Alcide said with a chuckle until he saw the looks on everyone's face.

"It's true," Godric admitted.

"Wow." Was all Alcide managed. "We cannot give Russell the ability to walk in the sun not even for a minute."

"I believe that is the consensus," Thalia answered looking as impassive as ever.

"With his level of desperation, we can expect his wolves to report to you in the morning." Alcide nodded at Godric's words.

"Sookie and I will be there first thing in the morning giving us to a chance to..."

"Considering he knows about the telepathy, I doubt we'd hear anything incriminating," Sookie mumbled as Eric avoided eye contact with everyone.

"No, but Russell is well aware of the fact that thoughts can't be used as a matter of proof against him," Godric answered.

"I say we launch a stealth operation and take him out clean. No one will be any the wiser." The whole thing was exasperating Jason, he wasn't a patient guy to begin with.

"As good an idea that is, I'd rather Russell gave us a reason," Eric said surprising everyone. "Russell meeting his true death under suspicious circumstances will bring the AVL on our door, and I'd rather keep them away from us. Believe me, if you think Russell wants you, it will be nothing compared to what the AVL will do to get their hands on you."

"He is right and you will no protection from the council if it comes to that" Godric muttered angrily. "Niall Brigant's chair on the council is still empty, and while you do not have the backing of your own kind on the council, it will be best to keep a low profile." Eric knew the Brigant name, though he already suspected the siblings of being royalty, he had no idea they would be of the ruling house of the sky clan.

"Sookie could take his place." Eric piped up.

"Absolutely not." Sookie retorted. "I have no interest in politics, especially politics involving sups."

"No, I would have thought not." Godric laughed knowing the promises he had to make regarding that just to get her to give him a chance.

* * *

Godric walked out of the farmhouse with Eric in tow. "I wish I could take back... there is no point in that." He saw no point wishing to change what can't be changed. "Master, I am sorry, so very sorry... my want of Sookie got the better of me. I realized while Pam was gone that she made me feel inconsequential... she made me feel small. Some fucked up part of my brain felt the need to lower her. In the end, it was nothing Sookie did, it was what I did. I wanted her, and she didn't want me, and you were right in saying I should have changed for her. Instead, I felt the need to lower her to make myself feel better. I am a vampire, what right did a human have to feel superior to me. In truth, it all started from the minute she opened her mouth. I had to apologize, I had to plead with her to take the job, and she continually turned down my advances. I was so used to getting what I wanted, that when a human of all species denied it to me, I lost my head." He made eye contact with Godric to find his maker smirking.

"Your timing is quite impeccable." Godric's smile disappeared replaced by something Eric had only ever seen aimed at others. "Oklahoma is need of a consort, and at her age, she needs someone older, formidable and skilled in combat. She asked for you, and I agreed." Eric stumbled backward in disbelief. "I accept your apology as we can part of good terms."

"Godric... master, please no. I can't... please Godric no." Eric had met Oklahoma at Russell's, she tried to make conversation, but Eric was not the least bit interested. Nothing about the female appealed to Eric in any way. Sure she was beautiful, but not the kind that Eric found attractive. "Godric." Eric collapsed on his knees, his head bowed as he presented his neck to his maker. The ultimate act of submission.

"This will be good for you..." Godric started only to be interrupted by a choking sound from Eric.

"Godric, please, anything but that." Eric sounded on the verge of tears. He heard nothing from Godric and eventually looked up to find his maker close to losing it.

"I believe this is when the humans would say 'gotcha.'" Eric wasn't sure he heard right.

"Oh, Sookie was right, this was far more satisfying than ripping your arm off, and we need you at peak condition with Russell in the shadows." Godric laughed uproariously at the look on Eric's face. "Go home, Eric. I will see you at my home tomorrow night." Godric said as he walked back to the farmhouse.

A state of incredulity kept Eric Northman on his knees. Godric did not just play a joke on him using his worst fears. Being tethered to someone even a monarch in such a way was his worst nightmare, and Godric knew. Over the last century and a half, Godric had fielded several offers for Eric, each had been turned down without so much as a modicum of consideration. To think because of his behavior he could have found himself as a consort to Oklahoma, he shivered at the thought. When Godric had said his timing was impeccable, he meant it. He had delayed in coming to the farmhouse Godric would have contracted him out to Oklahoma. Dear Ares, he really had pushed his maker far this time.

 _Lesson learned._

* * *

"Between the two of us, we can end Russell." Jason blurted out as he pulled his shirt off. Jason had teleported them to Thalia's home in New Orleans for the rest of the weekend as neither of them had to work.

"I know we can, but I believe his offense to the sheriff is greater than his want of you. And I am rather looking forward to whatever move Russell will make. I see this as an opportunity to test your gifts to their full extent. I would also like to see you glamour the wolves that Russell is sure to sent to watch you. You can make Russell believe whatever we want him to believe. Hell, were I in your shoes I will make him believe Godric spends hours in the sun. You can send the type of information that will make Russell careless in his desperation. The more you sound appealing through his own spies, the quicker we can end that mad excuse of a monarch." Jason stared at Thalia with a smile.

"You really are cunning," Jason whispered getting close to his bonded.

"Yes, just like you, I would like to see Russell's demise happen soon, but politics demand we wait. Mississippi is too close to our state to allow a war to break out over who gets that state after Russell's true death. We have to have a monarch in place before we make a move."

"I take it Godric has someone in mind?" Jason asked as he trailed kisses down Thalia's neck.

"Sophie-Anne." She answered her neck bared to his lips. He had her clothes off in a blink of an eye and her under him on the bed. "Your speed is improving."

"It will certainly come in handy with a bunch of wolves about to become my shadow." He moaned as he gripped his cock.

"Fuck me." She mewled into his ear. Not that he needed telling, but he complied all the same slamming into her. Taking it easy will come later in the night when he didn't have so much energy.


	20. Chapter 20

"Yes." Russell Edgington bellowed down the phone.

"We have some information. It's not about Stackhouse." Russell could hear the trepidation in their voices.

"Let's hear it."

"The only Stackhouse we have laid eyes on so far is the sister, we followed her to the family home. A vampire is walking around in the daylight. As we speak, he is out on the porch with the grandmother... they are discussing the French Revolution.

"Describe the vampire." Russell was slowly rising from his seat. The news was too much for him to remain still.

"He looks young, appears to be in his early twenties, short dark hair and is intimate with the sister."

"Godric," Russell whispered excitedly. Now his want of Jason Stackhouse had gone up a few notches. "Anything about the boy at all." Desperation had crept into his voice.

"Nothing so far. He is neither at the precinct nor the family home. We so far do not know where he lives.

"What about his bonded?" Russell asked.

"We have not seen her either."

"I think it's safe to say the couple is away. Stay put; do not draw attention to yourselves until they show up. The minute they show, call me." Russell hanged up with a smile. Their blood was apparently far more potent than he first thought. Russell stared at the light-tight window; he'd been up for hours and yet was still confined to artificial light. After three thousand years he would now get to see the sun. Godric was basking in the sunlight because he happened to have been at the right place at the right time. Everyone knew the Gaul's relationship with the AP. He would not be the least bit surprised to learn she had something to do with it. Misery had surrounded the Gaul for nearly a century, and now he was sunshine and happiness, literally. No, Russell would soon enjoy the same comforts. Hell, the idea of walking in the sun again might just get Talbot to forgive him after he ruined his birthday party.

"Well done." Jason snarked.

"Thank you." The one named Michael answered. Eric stared at Jason with something akin to fear, he had just learned Jason could glamour them as well. A vampire could glamour weres, but it was nowhere near as effective as Jason's. The two weres currently chained up in Fangtasia's basement, sat there as though there was nothing amiss. They had accepted Jason's command with zero resistance.

"We will keep them chained down here, but they are to be fed and watered. When they go back to Russell, nothing can appear amiss." Godric warned.

"One more thing and I hate to do this. Russell must be pushed over the edge. Therefore, Talbot must go. We need the AVL to come to us for assistance." He added.

As much as they all hated the idea, it was the best plan. Russell sanity must be pushed beyond what the AVL and Council could tolerate. Godric knew he was the only vampire capable of taking Russell on. Russell was a warmonger; he had inserted himself in wars for over two millennia and was something of a strategist and quite the fighter. No, he had to be systematically destroyed, and to prevent a war breaking out on their neighboring state; the AVL must be seen to have authorized his true death. Sophie Anne was ready to take over Mississippi, and with Godric on her side, no one would object.

* * *

Sookie bolted to the door the second it rang. To her utter disappointment, it was Eric, instead of the pizza delivery guy. She was on the verge of dying of starvation if he didn't come soon. Just as she was about to shut the door behind Eric, she saw the delivery driver. "About time." She murmured. Godric chuckled under his breath from his position on the sofa.

"That's seventy-two dollars." Sookie handed over eighty dollars.

"Keep the change." Eric grabbed the two bottles of coca-cola and helped her inside. She had two large pizzas, various side dishes, a chocolate lava cake and two tubs of ice cream. "Any longer and you would be giving me mouth to mouth."

"Shame." Godric quipped. Sookie spread the food around on the coffee table and dug in. Godric had gotten used to how much the siblings could put away. Using their gifts drained them of energy, which was quickly replenished with food.

Eric new to the sight in front of him, jut stared with his mouth open.

"Any news on Edgington?" Sookie took a second from stuffing her face to listen.

"Not since we sent the two weres back. It appears from the information he received, Russell is unsure about how to proceed." Eric answered.

"Good," Sookie muttered. "The longer he has to wait, the more careless he will become." She added.

"We can only hope that is the case." Godric grabbed the remote to turn up the TV.

"Rev. Newlin, there is no basis to these accusations." Nan Flanagan retorts with an eye roll.

"She really needs to play him at his own game," Sookie mutters angrily. "She needs a push." Neither Godric nor Eric had any idea what Sookie meant.

"Godric, could you get me that stations number." The more Sookie watched, the more irate she became about Nan Flanagan's performance. Steve Newlin was winning because he was feeding into the lies everyone already believed. Simply put, the man was fear-mongering, and it was working. Hell, the presenter's body was turned towards Newlin. Nan Flanagan seemed more focused on her phone than the debate.

"I'm going to regret this, but I have the number." Godric handed over his phone.

"Thanks, baby... this is one of those phones that can't be traced, right?" She batted her eyelashes at him. It didn't work, never had, but Godric also never failed to find it amusing.

"Yes, it can't be traced."

"Excellent." Sookie chirped and dialed the number in question. Sookie had almost given up when the phone was finally answered. "Ahh, thought you lot would never pick up." Her southern accent became more pronounced. "My name is Susannah, I used to work at a vamp bar years ago when Rev. Newlin came in begging the owner to be turned into a vampire."

"I'm sorry... what." The woman on the other end stuttered excitedly.

"Yes, hell, the vamp lady on your show knows all about it." Eric and Godric quickly figuring out where it was going started texting Nan Flanagan.

"Yeah, the vamp that owned the bar told him that the vamp leaders had sent a message to imprison anyone that changed Newlin. Newlin had apparently gone to them saying how much it would disgrace his father and destroy the Fellowship of the Sun when his own son had willingly become a vamp."

"I see." The woman on the other end muttered. "I'm guessing they figured no one would believe he was willingly turned and people would really turn against vamps."

"That's exactly what the vamp told Newlin," Sookie said with a smile.

"Could you please hold? Don't hang up... just wait."

"Sure thing," Sookie said with a shrug.

Godric could see Nan's featured contort into that of annoyance as she clearly didn't understand what she was reading just yet. "Tell her to play along." Godric offered.

The presenter turned excitedly towards the viewers. "We have a young lady on the phone by the name of Susannah. She has some information for us. I believe this will be of great interest to our viewers. "Susannah, you are on the air."

"Okay, no one told me I was gon be on the air. " Sookie snarled although she was smiling.

"I'm sorry about that, but I'm sure you can understand why we had to rush."

"Whatever." There was a disturbance on the line.

"Miss, could you lower the volume of your TV and move back until the noise stops." The presenter said, struggling to control his excitement. He had expected this to be a debate that got nowhere and achieved nothing. Except this phone call had changed it all. All of a sudden, Newlin's agenda wasn't so sanctimonious.

"Look, like I was telling the lady. Newlin beside you there spent years desperate to become a vamp."

"THAT IS A BALD FACED LIE." Steve Newlin blustered getting on his feet. "That is a lie, and there is not a shred of proof."

"Godric rushed out of the room." He came back with another phone in hand, texting furiously.

"Except it isn't." Nan Flanagan said in a bored tone.

"What." The presenter was barely keeping it together.

"He came to us when his father was still the head of the church. He wanted to become a vampire, desperate will be more accurate. It's rare for anyone to walk up to the AVL and asked to become a vampire, and any that do are turned away. He then told us who he was, and who his father was. We then realized that not only could we not turn him even if we wanted to, no one else could. We sent an email to all sheriffs warning of dire consequences for anyone who changed him. We are well aware of the fact that he visited several vampire establishments begging to be changed. Next, we heard his father dies in a car crash, and he is the head of the church. Maybe you haven't noticed, but I have been thoroughly bored with this interview from the get-go."

"Because you knew what this was truly about." The presenter turned to look at Newlin with a raised eyebrow.

"Where is the proof," Steve growled.

"That is..." The presenter's hands went to his earpiece. "We apparently have another caller on the phone." The presenter damn near shot out of his seat.

"Okay. I'm here with my laptop." Everyone jumped at the sound of Jason's voice.

"What the hell? Scared me half to death." Sookie groused.

"Not my fault you were so focused on the TV you weren't paying attention to anything else." He said with a shrug.

"I need to write an email and send it, but I need the date on the email dated at least a couple of years ago. Can you do that?"

"Yes." Jason chuckled. He had been watching the debate when he got Godric's text, so he had an idea of what was happening.

"It's Crystal." Eric murmured in disbelief.

"All she needed was a little push to fuck him over. Her mind is a fucking mess of contradictions. Never heard one person argue with themselves so much even though the answer is right in front of them." Sookie cheered.

"This was what you'd been hoping for. This was what you meant when you said she needed a little push."

"Yep, now get ready to call and offer her protection and to keep her job if she still wants it." Eric, at that moment, realized his games would never have worked on her. She had just more than likely ended Steve Newlin, the church might go on without him, but it will never have the respect it did now.

"A year of my life seeing that everything he had ever preached was a damn lie. Every time I called to report, he would say they are just putting on a show, and I would think for whom. I was just never brave enough to ask." Crystal's anger was clear as day. "Them vamps at the bar, come in... drink their true blood, dance with anyone, have a laugh and go home. At the end of the night, they walk me to my car because they say it wasn't beyond some people to attack me just because I work there. I ain't saying there aren't bad vampires, but there are also bad humans. Like the one that attacked me, It was a vampire who saved my life that day. That man is nothing but a lying piece of shit who could never get it straight why he didn't like vampires, but now I guess I know why. You are a fucking hypocrite." Crystal breathing was labored.

"Now call before she hangs up," Sookie ordered Eric.

"Rev. Newlin, it has not escaped my notice that you haven't called Crystal a lie."

"BECAUSE I AINT LYING." She screamed.

"Reverend." The presenter tried again.

"I have the email we sent to the sheriffs if you'd like to read it." Nan just looked beyond smug.

"We apparently have another caller on the line." Steve Newlin visibly shrunk in his seat. It was a miracle he was still seated listening. Then again walking out would make it worse.

"My name is Eric Northman, I am sheriff of Shreveport, Louisiana and the owner of Fangtasia."

"Sheriff, I am so sorry." Crystal started crying.

"Crystal, listen to me. Someone is on the way to get you right now. You need to pack what you need for now quickly. I have texted you his name and description. The job at the bar is still yours if you want it."

"I do, sheriff." She sniffed. "I'm already packed. I know how he works, anyone that goes against him ends up getting hurt. Don't blame that woman for not wanting to be on the air."

"Crystal, are you saying the church hurts people that don't play by the book." The presenter blurted out in disbelief.

Nan Flanagan scoffed in derision. "You people are so busy looking at us, you fail to look at yourselves. Where were you during his campaign of hate against us. Burning down vampire businesses, following law-abiding vampires home and burning their houses in the daytime."

"Why have you not said anything?" The presenter asked.

"Until his own people started calling in, would you have believed me?" The presenter shook his head sheepishly.

"I have vampire hearing, two more of his people have called with the same story about working undercover in vampire establishments and seeing nothing untoward, and yet he persists we are evil. So evil, you spent a year desperate to be one of us."

Steve Newlin stood up then. "I have never in my life aspired to become one of you filthy animals. You are the spawn of the devil. Your kind needs to be wiped off the face of the earth." Steve Newlin was practically spitting in anger.

"And yet I have the proof if only someone will bring me a computer to print the email in question."

"That will not be necessary." The presenter said much to Newlin's horror. "We have all the evidence we need. Reverend, your own people, are calling in with similar stories. Anyone calls in with something different we will hear them out." The presenter offered.

"You do that. I have a plane to catch." Nan Flanagan said looking incredibly smug. Indeed the segment had gone over its allotted half hour. "Oh, the AVL website will post a copy of the email if anyone wants to read it."

"Finally, she has proven why she is the spokeswoman for the AVL." Sookie cheered.

"Sookie Stackhouse, you are a dangerous woman." Godric chuckled.

"I simply played him at his own game. He sat up there and did nothing but lie for fifteen minutes. That Nan woman played it well." She grabbed another slice of pizza. "I'm hungry all over again." She complained.

"I'm afraid Nan will soon be paying us a visit," Godric said with a sigh. "You, my dear, have just gotten yourself involved in vampire politics."

"It's safe to say I became involved the minute Hadley told Sophie-Anne about me." She just hoped the AVL wasn't stupid enough to try and disrupt her life with Godric for their own gain.

AN: Sorry about the long wait. Life and medical problems just got on top of me.


	21. Chapter 21

Godric the Gaul, was revered and feared by the AVL for good reason. He was then somehow instrumental in the utter destruction of Steve Newlin. The rumor was that he was fighting to keep his position in the church. The so-called email released on AVL's website had crashed the site. They'd never had so many visitors, and they couldn't handle the traffic. Roman had called Godric to thank him but had asked for no explanation. He instead sent her to get said explanation under the guise of further thanking the Gaul.

Godric, Eric, Pam, and two humans Nan didn't know joined her at a table near the raised platform that also sat a chair doubling as a throne. She rolled her eyes at the sight when she had first walked into the bar. Fangtasia was a veritable cliché of everything that screamed vampire, except vampires, were far removed from that.

Nan stared at Sookie and Jason, wondering what the to were doing at the table. "She's wondering what we are doing here, so let's clue her in," Jason said with a smug smile. Eric and Pam had learned that Jason wasn't a telepath, nor could Sookie read vampires, but Jason could read anybody's language rather well, and Nan was making it all too easy for him. Eric, however, wasn't entirely sure he believed Jason wasn't a telepath, nor could they not hear vampire minds. He felt Godric did not trust him, and it was a ploy to let his guard down. In truth, neither mattered, as he was hell-bent on earning back his maker's trust.

"Godric chuckled and turned to Nan. "This is Sookie Stackhouse, my bonded." Nan did nothing to hide her surprise at the news. She new the Gaul was bonded, but she had no idea it was to a human. That is her brother Jason, and he is Thalia's bonded, and they are not human." His smile was a little smug at the look on Nan's face. "Well... not entirely. They are also responsible for Newlin's downfall. My bonded saw you on TV and was not impressed with your performance. If Newlin could lie through his teeth, why shouldn't we play him at his own game, so we did."

Nan cleared her throat unnecessarily. "So the young lady that called in..." Nan mumbled.

"Oh, Crystal's story was very much true. Sookie figured out who she was from the very beginning. With the exception of everyone at this table and Thalia, no one else knew she was a spy for the church. Everything she witnessed is what takes place as usual. No vampire can pretend to be something they are not for so long, especially so many of them.

"Indeed," Nan whispered. "Roman sends his thanks and offers his help whenever needed." That was what they had been waiting for.

"Well, we do have a problem, and since it originates from our neighbors, there isn't much we can do. A vampire in Mississippi is either selling or giving his blood to the weres. We had a couple come through here, causing trouble for the packs in the area. Someone needs to talk to Russell." Nan looked genuinely scandalized, which surprised Godric because they had already sent the AVL information anonymously, naming Russell as the culprit. It appeared they needed to hear about it from a reputable source to take it seriously. Godric's spy in Russell's camp had also informed them of Russell's substantial donation to the AVL. The donation had come just as they had sent the information; meaning Russell had an ally in the AVL.

"Roman will hear of this as soon as I get back." Russell was now on the AVL's radar despite his attempts to buy his way out of trouble. With nothing to talk about, Nan stood to leave. "How did you know she was a spy for the Fellowship of the Church?"

"That Miss Flanagan is my secret." Sookie smiled. Nan stared at her and then at Jason for a beat before turning to leave.

"She is not going to let it go," Eric muttered.

"No, I didn't expect her to," Godric answered. "With Roman as the head of the AVL it's not going to be an issue."

"If the AVL does do what I hope they'd do, we can keep Talbot out of this, but let's have a plan..."

"In the bag," Sookie said with a chuckle.

"Yes, let's have a plan in the bag just in case they hesitate." Godric finished with a sigh.

"How do we get to Talbot without Russell knowing," Pam asked.

"From a distance," Jason answered. "We simply need to get Talbot into the open and take him out. I will need a McMillan TAC-50. I will need to make a few changes to the bullet, but it should work."

"Okay," Sookie mumbled slowly.

"It's a 50 caliber bullet designed to go through an armored vehicle. I can shoot from more than a mile away if need be." Jason shrugged at the incredulous look his sister was giving him.

"That would work." Godric smiled. "What do you need to do with the bullet?"

"I'm hoping to get some silver on it. The bullet alone should make mincemeat of his heart, but the added silver should increase my chances."

"Can you make the shot from that distance?" Pam asked.

"I'd have to practice. I've never made a shot at that distance before. Just get me the gun, and we will go from there." Jason stood and stretched. "Thalia and I are headed for New York for a couple of days." With a wave, he was gone.

Sookie was surprised by the ease in which he was willing to kill an innocent vampire. In a way, she also understood it; after all, he was the one Russell was after. Talbot sure as hell wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to walk in the sun if Russell represented Jason.

"I should have the gun by the time you get back," Eric muttered as he got his phone out.

* * *

Thanks to Russell, Godric now found himself thoroughly entrenched in politics. He spent the flight back to Shreveport, wishing he could just take a detour into Mississippi and take Russell out. Unfortunately, that would inevitably end his peace and quiet for sure. Despite being an adviser to Sophie-Anne, he was still able to maintain the life he loved so much. Killing Russell would put him in a position that would put his family in danger. He was feared enough as it was, and arbitrarily taking out Russell would have some in the vampire world after him for fear he could come after them. He landed in his backyard just after midnight. It would be a while before Sookie got home from Fangtasia, so he jumped into the shower, washing several hours of political nonsense of him.

He was replying to the AP's email when he heard the distinct pop that hailed Sookie's arrival. She walked into the bedroom with a loud sigh. Her eyes drifted over his naked torso slowly before looking up at him. "I'm going to take a quick shower." She headed to the bathroom. Godric quickly replied to the email and put his laptop aside. He knew that look, well sex was on the cards. Unfortunately for him, his phone rang at that moment. Worse, it wasn't a call he could ignore.

"Roman." He hoped this was the news he was waiting for.

"Godric, Nan will not shut up about you and Thalia's bonded," Roman said with a chuckle.

"They do have that effect on most people." Godric returned.

"We looked at the blood problem in your neighboring state. It seems it was a vampire looking to earn extra money. Russell has assured us he has put an immediate stop to it. Apparently, said vampire is in a silvered coffin licking his wounds, so to speak." Godric shut his eyes in disappointment. It appeared he AVL had blinked.

"Can't tell you how relieved I am that is over with." Godric smiled.

"It was nothing." There was a pause. "Your bonded... what is she?"Roman asked.

"She is the granddaughter of Niall Brigant." Sookie appeared then with a raised eyebrow. For some bizarre reason, the AVL had chosen to simply take Russell's word for it. He couldn't believe Roman was afraid of Russell, yes Roman was young compared to himself and Russell, but still, he was the heard of the authority. The only conclusion Godric could draw was that Russell did indeed have an ally in the AVL.

"His seat on the council had been empty for almost two decades."

"Yes, and for good reason. I believe my bonded needs my attention. We will speak soon." He dropped the call before Roman could ask more questions.

"Why did you tell him who I was?"

"Russell has someone in the AVL, someone who has Roman's ear and has blinded him to what is truly going on with Russell. Whoever it is, needs to be made wary of me and mine. If Russell doesn't get Jason soon, what stops him from going to this contact in the AVL. Your family tree will make them cautious, and hinting I might know where Niall is should make them cautious of crossing us. They might be willing to go against me, but me and Niall Brigant... I don't think so."

"It's not a theory I want to test. I think it's time we started with our plan." Sookie pulled on a bathrobe on much to Godric's dismay. Godric hoped the phone call with Jason would be a quick one. It wasn't.

* * *

"What is the meaning of this?" Russell bellowed.

"Sorry, but I thought you would like to know that the Stackhouse boy is at Lou Pine's as we speak," Michael informed Russell.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, very, he introduced himself to Hollis as Jason Stackhouse." Russell was gone before Michael finished his sentence.

Russell couldn't believe his luck, what were the chances of the very boy he desperately needed walking into an establishment were all there were loyal to him.

Russell entered the bar to find Jason Stackhouse surrounded by weres. "So, you are bonded to a vampire?" A were asked.

"Indeed, I am."

"I'm surprised she hasn't drained you smelling the way you smell." They believed him, as they could also smell the vampire blood as faint as it was.

"So, how did you land this elusive vampire?" Debbie Pelt asked with a sneer.

"She loves knives, and I am very good with a knife," Jason mumbled.

"Well, show us." Another were asked. Jason was about to do just that when he froze and looked at the doorway.

"Oh, I'm in trouble." He mumbled just as Thalia appeared in the middle of the bar.

"You left the Jackson Police Department several hours ago. If you intended on drinking after your consultation... a phone call would have been appreciated." Thalia's calm demeanor did not bode well for Jason.

"Yes, right... I should have done that. It was a horrifying case, and I wanted to come straight home, but I struggled to pop and thought a few drinks would settle my nerves."

"You couldn't transport yourself across a relatively short distance by your standards?"

"No, tried, but it just wasn't working. Thought a little drink might help." He stumbled when he stood.

"Seems to me, you had more than a little drink." Thalia retorted drily.

"Got a little carried away." Jason swayed on the spot.

With a sigh, Thalia turned to the bartender." Is there anywhere around here I can rent a car?" She had run to Jackson, not expecting to find her bonded drunk.

"I'm afraid not, especially at this time." The bartender answered.

"I can pop now." And he did. He was gone for a few seconds earning gasps from the weres. Unfortunately, he appeared back in the same place. "I think my sense of direction is gone." Jason giggled.

"You really ain't human." Debbie Pelt muttered in shock.

"No, he is not. It is also rather irresponsible of you to get this inebriated knowing the gifts you possess. You could have hurt a lot of people had your powers gotten out of control." Thalia moved forward to catch him as he swayed far too forward. "Russell, could you lend me a vehicle? It will be returned tomorrow evening." Russell was surprised by the request as he was sure Thalia hadn't even noticed him.

"Would it not be easier to spend the night at my home until you can both leave safely?" Thalia looked at an almost passed out Jason and agreed.

"I will drive you." Debbie Pelt surprisingly offered.

Had Russell Edgington been thinking past his want of Jason Stackhouse, he would have questioned several things. He would have questioned why Thalia simply didn't give him a little of her blood to neutralize the effects of the alcohol. He would have questioned why Thalia wasn't worried about the effects of Jason's smell on the vampires in his home. Russell Edgington was thinking of ways to get rid of Thalia and keep Jason Stackhouse for himself, and it never once crossed his mind this was all too convenient.


	22. Chapter 22

Debbie Pelt was easily ruled by her emotions, especially when it came to one particular were. What she wasn't though was blind; in fact, she was very tuned into her emotions to the extent that she so easily recognized it in others. What she recognized in Russell was need. Russell wanted and needed Jason Stackhouse for reasons she didn't know nor did she care. It had been obvious the minute Russell arrived At Lou Pine's sitting in the corner watching Jason with an intent Debbie had never seen in him. She also didn't miss the dejected look Russell wore when Thalia showed up to get her misbehaving husband.

Now Russell sat in the front seat of her truck, trying his damnedest not to turn and look at the man who was drunkenly sweet-talking his vampire wife into forgiving him. Debbie found the entire scene hilarious, but she was simply going to drop them off and turn back around and head home.

They arrived at Russell's in no time. Thalia was out the door and had Jason by the scruff of his neck. To her utter delight, Russell was quick to exit her vehicle and join the pair. Debbie turned around and hit the gas pedal like never before.

"Do you have a guest house?" Thalia asked. "He is unable to mask his scent, and I would rather not expose him to more vampires. I have no desire to kill in your home, and I will if anyone so much as looks at him in a manner I deem threatening." She warned.

"Yes, indeed, but I'm afraid the pool house is not a place for guests, and most importantly, it's not light tight."

"It is not an issue," Thalia said with a nonchalance that had Russell almost wobbling in his shoes. Thalia was well aware of the condition of the pool house and also knew that though it wasn't light-tight, she could spend the day there safely if Russell wasn't looking to get rid of her.

"Sure, this way." Russell was all of a sudden filled with more southern charm than the proverbial southern gentleman. "I will have it made a little more comfortable if you give me a few minutes." Thalia nodded and moved her and Jason over to the edge of the pool house.

"He's out of hearing range," Thalia whispered despite her words.

"He's even more desperate than I thought," Jason muttered with a chuckle. It took more than a few beers to get him drunk. "It bodes well for us." Thalia agreed with Jason's assessment, but desperate people also made unexpected moves. She was sure as hell wasn't spending the day in the pool house. They had a place picked out just outside of Russell's property. There, they had also hidden Jason's gun, a change of clothes for Thalia was an exact copy of what she was wearing now. Jason's glamoured were, Michael patrolled that part of the property, therefore there was little chance of been spotted. Even if they were, Jason could glamour whatever they saw out of their minds.

Thalia would admit her views on guns had changed somewhat. She had watched as Jason practice the shot. He had spent two weeks perfecting that shot. He had one chance to make it before all hell broke loose.

Much to their surprise, two men were hauling a light travel coffin to the pool house, quickly followed by a bed. Russell had clearly come up with a plan, one that seemed to involve getting Thalia into some place or thing light-tight. "I hope this will suffice. I feel like such a horrible host. I ask you to stay here without thinking it out." Russell drawled as he walked closer. Jason, at this point, was lying on the ground staring at the sky, drawing out the shapes the stars made.

"Thank you, Russell, we will keep out of your way. " Thalia hauled Jason over her shoulder and stormed to the pool house as he started singing. "Do us both a favor and shut up." Thalia groused.

"Sure," Jason muttered as drool ran out of his mouth. Russell chuckled at the unlikely pair, but it was also an unlikely bond that was making his planned acquisition more difficult. Thalia was not be underestimated.

"Them again." Talbot barked.

Russell sighed and turned his attention to him. "Yes, them again."

"What is going on?"

"He is a fairy..." Russell continued quickly before Talbot could make some crack about the word fairy. "...and one whose blood allows vampires to walk in the sun." Talbot's irate look turned to one of abject interest. "If I can get rid of her, he will be ours. Imagine watching the sunset every morning. Not having to rush to get out of the sun's glare."

"The sun becoming inconsequential again." Talbot finished. As much as he wanted that dream, he also strangely would prefer if Russell had gone after the sister instead. Then again, she was the Gaul's bonded, and a vampire would have to be a fool to take him on. Russell could best Thalia, but the Gaul was an entirely different story.

Thalia exited the pool house and off the property before anyone spotted her just before the sun came up. Russell so believed in Jason's blood enabling her to walk in the sun, and yet wanted her to spend the day locked away. Locking her away would make it so much easier to kill her. The only light-tight room she trusted was her own; she rarely visited a place where she didn't have her own property to die in. If forced someplace else she would rather bury herself in the ground. Russell's light-tight room more than likely was designed to incapacitate a vampire if need be. She could smell Jason coming through the trees, as she got ready. She kept guard as he got a few hours of sleep, and after she was safely buried, he would get to work.

"He did a good job." Jason said as he spotted the deep hole Michael had dug. The glamoured were was proving to be very useful.

"Yes, the depth should hide my scent if anyone came past." Thalia settled down, and Jason quickly filled the hole. He patted the soil down and rolled a couple of logs over it. They might be going overboard, but rather that than get caught because on complacency or worse, hubris. He washed his hands and boots and popped back to the pool house. Jason took off his jacket, shirt, and boots, he rubbed his eyes raw and wandered back to the main house. Russell and several weres seemed to be in a conference of sorts. It was common knowledge that most monarchs used weres as security during the day. Russell was no different; he, in fact, relied on them more than most. Fifteen would be patrolling the compound while the sun was up.

"Ah, Mr. Stackhouse, you can finally stand on your own two feet." Jason looked around a little sheepishly.

"Yeah, any chance of breakfast?" He ran his fingers through his hair.

"Yes, I have the chef make you something." Talbot offered as he eyed up every inch of Jason.

"Thanks, I will come with you." Jason wasn't about to eat anything he hadn't seen prepared.

"You know a little drop of my blood will have you right as rain." Talbot offered.

"I know, but I'm already in enough trouble with Thalia, can't go adding to it." He mumbled as he stood by the kitchen island.

"Suit yourself," Talbot muttered with a dismissive wave. "What would you like? I don't think there is a dish our chef here cannot make."

"Pancakes and eggs if it's too much trouble."

"It's not," Talbot answered.

"Are you going to prepare it?" Jason bit back.

"Of course not," Talbot responded as though it was the most absurd idea he'd ever heard.

"Then you don't know if it's too much trouble or not... do you." Jason bit back.

"I suppose I don't," Talbot muttered.

Russell joined them as Talbot was clearly throwing an internal hissy fit due to Jason putting him in his place. "Thank you two very much for your hospitality, we will be out of your ear before you wake up." A bolt of panic shot through the two.

"No need to rush. We were hoping to spend a little time with you two tonight before you left." Russell calculated the risk of trying to take Jason now but dismissed it as Thalia was right then an unknown factor. Was she in the coffin or was still up and about?

"I'm afraid we had plans that I have already made difficult. You might have a few minutes with us before we leave." He said with an apologetic shrug.

"We understand." Russell smiled as they left Jason to his breakfast.

* * *

Jason spent the rest of the day walking around the property chatting to weres, or that is what anyone monitoring or checking the CCTV footage would see. With a couple of hours, he had them all glamoured. He would then likely have to spend hours looking through a scope waiting for Talbot to show, couldn't risk anyone finding them.

Russell, at his age, would naturally be up before Thalia, although he still couldn't go out. Jason though would have to keep him busy until Thalia dug herself out, cleaned up, and joined me. Jason would have to show off quite a bit, he had no problem with that. He stayed in the pool house until just before the sun went down and then entered the main house. "Here I thought Thalia woke up early, but this is early." Jason yawned, moving to the kitchen. The chef Mike was the best thing about the place as far as Jason was concerned.

"With age come certain advantages," Russell answered as he followed. Jason found it funny that Russell followed him like a dog would his owner waiting for food.

"I can see that. I will admit I can't wait to see the world in a few centuries." Jason mumbled.

"You are immortal?"

"Fairies age slowly, but a fairy with human DNA would age a little faster than a full fairy, but bonded to a vampire eliminates the aging process altogether."

"So continued use of Thalia's blood will make you immortal. Fascinating." Russell whispered.

"Yeah, check this out. Mine gives her the ability to walk in the sun. The more she drinks from me, the more immunity she builds. Of course, it takes time to get to that point, but we have it." It was a load of bullshit, but Russell didn't know that.

"Wow, what else are you capable of?" Jason took pleasure in showing off. He showed almost everything he was capable of, except his ability to glamour. He tried talking about Sookie, but Russell had no interest in her much to his delight.

Jason was in the middle of his meal when Thalia finally showed up, followed by Talbot. "Russell, thank you for your hospitality, but we do have to get going. I'm afraid we are already late."

"Such a shame. Please come back soon." Talbot drawled while Russell calculated his chances of success against Thalia. Unfortunately, he knew he could not start a fight with her without Jason getting involved. Russell had just been privy to the boy's numerous abilities; he was sure the boy kept some to himself. Getting Jason Stackhouse would not happen just yet, but it would happen. He just had to be patient. In fact, establishing a friendship might just be the way to go.

Russell and Talbot walked outside to see the pair off. Jason pulled Talbot backside and faraway from Russell. "I am sorry about this morning. I was nursing a hangover and behaved appallingly. To show my gratitude and to apologize, I have left you a gift in the pool house. It's behind a stack of poles in the far right corner of the room. Do not open it until you are ready to use it. I'm afraid it's just for one person. It's Thalia's, she has it for emergencies, but as we are heading home, she can afford to part with it. Use it soon as due to my human DNA, the blood will congeal by sun up."

"You left me some of your blood?" Talbot could barely contain his excitement.

"Yes, it will give you a day in the sun. Use it wisely. You have tonight at least to plan your day." Jason laughed as he walked away. Talbot just stood there thinking of the possibilities.

"What did you two talk about?" Russell asked, pulling him out of his daydream.

"He left me some of his blood. It allows me a day in the sun." Russell wasn't sure he heard him correctly.

"He left you some of his blood?" Russell vamped right to him and gripped his shoulders. "Where is it?"

"Why?" Talbot asked, shrugging off Russell's hands. In Russell's excitement, it hadn't even occurred to him that Talbot would not consider sharing. "He left it to me, and unfortunately, there is only enough for me." Talbot glared before walking away.

"What do you want for it?" Russell practically begged. Talbot ignored the question. "There has to be something you want," Russell pleaded.

"Yes, to spend a day in the sun." Talbot drawled. Russell contemplated torturing Talbot for the location of the blood but shook the idea off and berated himself for the thought.

"When I get him and I will. You will not get another drop out of him if you do not give me the blood." Russell threatened.

"I can live with that." Talbot retorted. He stared at Talbot for a beat and with a huff vamped out of the house. Talbot was not idiotic enough to head straight to the pool house. He knew Russell was watching him, but he also knew Russell had several meetings in an hour or so, which gave him plenty of time to get the blood and hide it.

Talbot was not a consort that ventured past the front door much unless with Russell or guards. Even walking the compound wasn't something he did much. Russell was extremely protective of him. Taking the chance of setting up and waiting for him to come out by himself to take a shot without an incentive would have been a fool's errand. This, in a sense, took them entirely off Russell's radar as suspects and, most importantly, ensured Talbot would at some point in the night make his way to the pool house.

Jason and Thalia had expected Talbot to tell Russell about his gift. They knew they had to wait, and wait they were prepared to do. Thanks to a witch Godric knew, they were scentless. They also had the scent of a vampire who had met his true death recently ready to leave in place. Russell would be chasing a ghost.

"There he is," Jason whispered almost two hours later. The blood he had given Talbot was indeed his own and would allow Talbot to walk in the sun for a few hours if that. They had spent two weeks collecting his blood in small doses. If things went according to plan Talbot will not drink it, and neither would Russell, as the magic that kept it corked would dissipate by sun up, and the blood would congeal minutes after that. He watched Talbot through the scope as he walked around the property and headed to another outhouse on the property. Russell had clearly excused himself from the meeting to follow. Talbot clearly knew Russell well as he led him on a wild goose chase. Talbot went into the outhouse and came back out a minute or so later with a smile on his face. Russell also smiled and went back inside the house, thinking he knew where the blood was hidden.

Talbot rounded the corner of the house with a wide grin on his face just as his head exploded. Thalia opened the vile and then took off running to the main road. Jason had popped and was already waiting for her. He took her hand, and they were back at the farmhouse in a blink of an eye.

It's done." Several nervous eyes relaxed minutely. The hardest part was over.


	23. Chapter 23

"I understand what you are asking, but I'm afraid I can't help."

"Godric, there isn't anyone in North America that can take on Russell single-handedly but you. If the AVL decided to intervene, it would be a bloodbath." Godric agreed with him.

"I understand that Roman, but you must also understand I can't have Russell turn his ire on my family and me."

"He will never know." Roman retorted angrily, thinking Godric was using flimsy excuses to get out of helping.

"I'm afraid he would. Russell has a spy in the AVL." The line was quiet for too long.

"And you know this how?" Roman's voice was controlled, but not enough to hide his anger and shock.

"Because I had a spy in Russell's compound up until a few months ago." If Godric revealed his spy were still on the compound, Roman would wonder why Godric didn't know what had brought on Russell's sudden escalation in insanity.

"Do you know who the spy is?"

"Yes." Godric sighed in resignation. "Salome Agrippa, whether you believe me or not matters little to me, but as long as she is by your side, I will not undertake any jobs that are doomed to failure before they have already begun."

"I understand." Godric tossed his phone aside and smiled. He knew if he's played the right hand. He would have killed two birds with one stone. Salome and her ideals could not be allowed to take root. The Sanguinsta Movement must not be allowed to have even the smallest measure of power, or else there would be war. Many human governments would see it as an opportunity to pick off remaining vampires. Without Salome Agrippa, that movement would die soon enough.

"What did Roman want?" Sookie knew precisely what the head of the AVL wanted.

"Russell was causing problems, and no one was sure why. Several vampires had been abducted, and none have been seen since." Godric smirked. "He has done so much in so little time. I had not anticipated such a quick escalation in his further descent into madness." Despite his words, Godric understood why a loss of a bonded could drive a vampire mad. If he lost Sookie, he would promptly follow. He had hoped Russell would spare them the trouble and end his existence, but unfortunately, it was not to be.

"And the other problem?" Sookie marked her page and put her book aside.

"Roman will now keep an eye on Salome. She might not be a spy for Russell, but her actions would reveal the fact that she is a traitor. Russell will soon meet the true death; his actual spy will quickly shift allegiance and side with the AVL. Why reveal yourself when your master is dead? So whoever they are is not a concern."

"Indeed." Sookie murmured. "You do think Eric would want to end Russell himself?" She added.

"Yes, and he can. Whether he will be satisfied with just staking Russell after he has been subdued is another issue. That boy is all about honor in combat." Godric murmured.

"And where was Russell's honor when he murdered an entire family for a fucking trinket?"

"You will get no argument from me." Godric slipped under the sheets and pulled her closer. "I have a couple of hours until the sun pulls me under."

"Pulls you under?" She teased.

"Yes, you don't like the term 'day death,' so I have to find creative ways of saying it." He ran his fingers over her breast. She was in one of his linen shirts as usual; he found the idea of her sleeping in his shirts quite the turn on. Sookie threw her leg over him, opening herself up to him.

* * *

Pam stood with some trepidation at the sudden arrival of Russell Edgington. "Russell..." She approached with caution. They all knew what was going on, except for Pam, none of the vampires present in Fangtasia knew the reason why.

"May I speak to Thalia?" It was a question that only required a positive response.

"I'm afraid Thalia is not working today. I will be happy to call her for you." Pam had the phone out before she'd completed the sentence.

"I would appreciate that." Russell could not afford to offend Pam or anyone part of the Gaul's family. Worse, he needed the assistance of Jason Stackhouse to help find the person responsible for Talbot's true death.

He heard the phone ring several times before it was answered. "I am not working today, nor am I available to do whatever this phone call is about." Thalia's annoyance at the disturbance was loud and clear.

"Russell Edgington is here and would like to speak to you," Pam responded. There was a brief pause. "I will be there in a minute." Thalia dropped the call before Pam could respond.

"Would you like to wait in the office?" Russell nodded. Pam led the way, out of the view of the vampires; she allowed a small lift in the corner of her mouth to escape. She knew Eric would have loved to see this, but Godric thought it was best he wasn't around. They had just made it into the office when Thalia arrived with Jason.

"Where is he?" Thalia asked no one in particular.

"Office." Crystal answered.

Thalia walked into the office without knocking. "I need your bonded help?" Russell started with no preamble.

"Then why ask for me." She was well aware vampire rules dictated Russell ask her for Jason's assistance, but Jason was no mere human.

"Yes, I forgot." He turned to Pam. "Is this office soundproof?"

"Yes," Pam answered, looking as confused as the rest. Later, she'd admire their acting brilliance.

Russell's appearance did not come as a surprise to them. Michael had been instructed to wait a few weeks after Talbot's death to suggest the help of Jason, a detective with a one hundred percent arrest and conviction record, something that was unheard of. Russell had naturally first scoffed at the idea as Jason was a homicide detective of the humankind, but Michael's assertion that Jason had solved crimes involving vampires had Russell vamping to Fangtasia to ask for the Fairy's help.

"I'm sure you've heard the rumors about my behavior in Mississippi? Talbot has met the true death, and my attempts to get to the bottom of it is behind it all." Russell looked at Jason. "I am here to seek your help. I believe this is your area of expertise."

"That is right. When did this happen?"

"Thirty-six days ago."

"Thirty-six days... you waited for over a month to ask for my help. What do you expect me to do now? It's practically a cold case now. You should have called me the minute it happened. There is nothing I can do now, even if I believed you." That last line took Russell by surprise.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh please, I wasn't born yesterday. You think I don't know about your plans to kidnap me for my blood?" For the first time in his existence, Russell Edgington had been rendered mute. "Yeah, that's what I thought," Jason added.

"That may have been the case, but it is not the case right now. Right now, I need you to help me find the one responsible for the death of my bonded."

"Funny how your bonded is dead right after telling me about your plans to kidnap me." Russell's head snapped up. "Yes, when I gave him my blood, he confessed your intentions to me..."

"Talbot would never betray me." And indeed, he never would, but he wasn't alive to contradict Jason.

"EXCEPT HE DID." Thalia bellowed.

"We were waiting for the ploy that would get me back to your compound, and I have to admit I didn't see this one coming." Jason chuckled. "Come on, let's go." Jason and Thalia walked out of the office with Russell in tow.

"This is not about your blood. Talbot has met the true death and..."

"If indeed he has," Jason turned and faced him. "Your compound is surveilled, and I'm guessing you found nothing on the monitors, meaning only someone who knew exactly where each surveillance camera was positioned and could have avoided it. How about you looking at the very people on your compound? People fast enough to get away when Talbot fell, because your monitors are always watched. Who could fast enough before your people acted?"

"Are you saying a vampire did this?" Russell asked.

"Yes, and I'm looking at him." Jason sneered. "As you said, this is my area of expertise, and I find that in this case, the obvious is the truth. I truly cannot see how an outsider killed Talbot." Jason shrugged as he looked around the bar. It had gone quiet, the music was off, and the vamps had moved as far away from the altercation as they could.

You dare accuse me of Talbot's true death. I had nothing to do with my bonded's death..."

"Not even if it will allow you to walk in the sun?"

"NOT EVEN THAT," Russell shouted. "All you have to do is come to the compound and investigate, and you..."

"Not after thirty-six days, I won't. The trail has gone cold. You and your weres have more than likely trampled over every piece of available evidence. Finally, from where I'm standing, this all points to you as the perp. Waiting this long to approach me alone is enough to convince me of your guilt. Even if I could help, I will not as you have admitted to your plans to kidnap me for my blood."

"You will not help?" Russell's tone sent a shiver down Jason's spine, but he stood his ground.

"No." He grabbed Thalia's hand, and they disappeared.

"He will regret this," Russell growled. Much to Pam's relieve, Russell vamped out of the bar after those words. Word would spread; the AVL would soon know why Russell had kidnapped vampires in his state, they had spies everywhere and made no secret about it. It appeared thanks to Jason; Russell would be looking at vampires in his retinue and not the vampire population of Mississippi. Russell will turn on his people, making the takeover of his state an easier endeavor. No one will fight for a monarch torturing his own people. "Turn the music back on." She ordered before disappearing into the office with a smile. Eric would soon have his vengeance.

Three hours after Jason's encounter with Russell, Roman called Godric. "Roman, my answer has not changed.

"It appears Talbot, Russell consort has met the true death."

"I find that hard to believe." Godric scoffed. "He is more protected in and out of that compound than you are to have met the true death." Roman was quiet for too long.

"Then it would appear the assertion that Russell is the culprit is true."

"Why would Russell kill Talbot?"

"Your bonded's brother is wanted by Russell for his blood."

"Ah, walking in the sun." Godric murmured. "That would do it."

"Talbot informed the boy of Russell's plans when the boy gifted him enough blood to have Talbot walk in the sun. What else was said for Talbot to betray Russell was not said, but it would appear Russell hoped to lure the boy to his compound under the pretense of investigating Talbot's death."

"Clever," Godric whispered.

Indeed, and it would have worked had Talbot not told the boy of Russell's plans." Roman sighed. "You might not have wanted to get involved, but you are. Russell will come for the boy sooner or later, but I'd hazard a guess and say sooner."

"My bonded and I are away and left specific instructions not to be disturbed, but it would appear I will be the one disturbing them. We are heading back home. Thanks for the call, Roman."

"To be warned," Roman didn't need to finish.

"And Roman, I have no desire to be king, but I believe Sophie-Anne would be happy to rule our neighboring state."

"How you handle threats to you and yours has no bearing on the Authority. There will be no interference from us. Godric, thanks for your warning a couple of weeks ago, it proved to be most informative. There was more going on that you or I could have imagined." With a smile, Godric ended the call.

"Think we should give Russell a few days to alienate his retinue, and then we can pay him a visit." Godric chuckled.

"I will admit I thought he was going to try and take me right there at the bar," Jason answered with a yawn.

"He would have been a fool to try that in a bar full of vampires who owed him nothing," Eric answered.

"For the next few days, I cannot stress enough just how vigilant you should stay, we cannot give Russell the upper hand now due to carelessness." Godric stared at Eric as he said that. His progeny was the likely one to try and make a rush move. He had done just that so many times before his quest to avenge in his family.

"Understood," Eric replied earnestly.

"Okay, back here tomorrow to strategize." The farmhouse emptied soon after.

"A few more days." Sookie murmured.


	24. Chapter 24

If Sookie was honest with herself, she wanted to be back at the farmhouse and more importantly, in bed with Godric. Jason though, had other ideas, the game was on at Merlotte's, and he had talked Godric into going. Who, in turn, talked her into joining him. So there she was at a crowded Merlotte's trying very hard not to look like she'd rather have her teeth pulled. Her disposition was made no better by the looks Sam was giving her; she hadn't seen him in a while, and it would be rude not to go by and say hello. Whatever his views on vampires were, he had given her a job when she struggled to find one. Of course, being a telepath made waitressing the most straightforward job on the planet, or at least it was until she started tending bar at Fangtasia.

"Sam, how are you?" She planted her butt on a bar stool with a long sigh.

"I'm good, Sook, and yourself?" His eyes wandered over to the boot she'd just vacated.

"Got no complaints." She responded with a smile looking over at Godric, who smiled at her despite his ongoing conversation with Arlene.

"Really, then life with the sheriff's maker is good then?" He just about managed to keep the sneer out of his voice.

"It's damn near perfect." She retorted.

"I see, it's that why we don't see you around here anymore."

"Actually, I am here quite a bit, you just never seem to be. No matter how busy I am, I still have time for my friends. I also haven't forgotten your lack of appearance to three invites."

"I wasn't in town when you had those barbecues." He sighed. "And in truth, I'm not keen on the company you Stackhouses keep these days. I mean… why vamps, you could do so much better. All they do is take. What could he possibly give you? Your bloodline is sure as dead with you and Jase deciding vamps are who you want to spend your life with." Sookie swallowed her anger.

"We are immortal Sam, who would you have us marry. As for kids, I am not going to bring them into this world and watch them grow old and die. That is what will happen if I marry a mortal of any kind." Sam's jaw dropped.

"You are… I had no idea, I mean, I knew there was something about you and Jase, but I never figured..." his voice trailed off. "I had no idea." He repeated after Sookie said nothing.

"Would have, if you had just asked." She jumped off the stool when a waitress approached their boot with their food.

Half an hour later, even Godric struggled to stay focused. He didn't get most modern sports in general. In this day, games and combat went hand in hand. Every competitive activity had its roots in fighting. "What exactly is achieved by throwing this ball around?" Sookie let out a peal of laughter in response.

"Where you are concerned, I guess not much, but to most the pride of your team winning." He still didn't get it. Sookie wondered how Thalia was doing if Godric was that lost, Thalia might just as well be spinning with no aim in mind. "We could always go for a walk." He stood quickly and took her hand in his.

"That is a perfect idea." They were out of the bar before anybody could protest.

"I believe a vacation is in order after this unfortunate business with Russell is over." Godric murmured as they sat on the swing on the porch of the farmhouse.

"Don't you have to be around for the takeover?" Sookie sighed.

"No, if things have worked as well as we planned, it should be the smoothest transition I have ever witnessed." He chuckled. "I promise, after this, we will be far removed from vampire politics as can be. Any issues that arise next will not be from my end." He teased.

"You better not be implying what I think you are." She threatened with little bite.

"I am not implying, I am stating… you Fairies are just as much trouble as vampires. If your kind didn't taste so good, we would get along well."

"Yes, blame us for your inability to control your thirst around us."

"I do." He chuckled, earning an elbow to the abdomen.

"Ouch." He laughed. She relaxed against him with a satisfied sigh. Her relaxed mood was short-lived when both their phones rang.

"No rest for the wicked." She whispered as she teleported them to Fangtasia.

* * *

"He's holding everyone who wasn't on the compound that day. We have no idea where though we know they are not on the compound. My fiancée is among them." Debbie was shaking uncontrollably, Jason knew it was more from withdrawal symptoms from V than anything to do with Russell having taken her fiance. "Word is you believe Russell killed Talbot for your blood." She added.

"From what I know so far, it's the only probable conclusion I can draw. Unless you can tell me something… tell me about the events surrounding Talbot's true death."

"I can do better than tell you. I can show the security footage from the compound, and the death itself." Grant, Cooter's second, brought out a laptop.

Jason hit play and watched Talbot's true death and the events surrounding it on the screen. "Where was Talbot going?" he asked as he watched it again.

Debbie stared at him perplexed. "To get the blood, you hid for him in the outhouse. That was what Russell said, at least."

"No, I left it in the pool house. Did any of you see me head that way?"

"Come to think of it, no." Michael murmured.

"Earlier, you said Russell was in a meeting." Grant nodded. "So he left his meeting to see watch Talbot head up to the outhouse, and… where is he looking." Jason paused the screen as everyone looked. "What's there?" Jason asked.

"Nothing, that leads to a small patch of woods and then the main road leading further into Jackson," Grant answered.

"Right," Jason whispered and got back to the video. "There." He paused the video again.

"I can't believe I missed it." Michael murmured.

"Is that a bullet?" Debbie asked.

"I believe it is," Jason whispered.

"What does that mean?" Grant asked.

"I have no idea." Jason sighed, scrubbing his face. "I mean… how long did the shooter wait to get that opportunity? What are the chances of getting Talbot on his own? Why did he go to the outhouse?"

"Russell sent him there to give his shooter a chance… I mean, you just said... what are the chances." Another were Jason didn't know piped up.

"What are the chances indeed," Jason muttered. "I stand by my decision, especially in light of you telling me that Russell said he went to get the blood I gave him. The blood is in the pool house, and it's more than likely still there."

"Well, Mr. Stackhouse, it appears you seem to be in Jackson doing exactly what you refused to do. Since you are already here, why not take a step further and come to the compound." Russell's southern drawl seemed more pronounced at that moment.

"There is no need for me to step foot on your compound, I already know what happened, and kidnapping their loved ones hoping to get me to do your bidding isn't going to work either." Jason sat with a smug smile that belied his situation. There he was in Russell's territory, in a bar that was packed with his wolves, and yet he seemed more at home than anybody else. "I don't think I ever told you why it is I'm so good at my job. See, I can't be lied to." Jason stood and took a step towards Russell. He already tested his ability on Godric, and it worked with little effort. It would have been foolish not to before walking into the lion's den all those weeks ago. "Tell me, Russell, did you have Talbot killed."

"Yes." Russell shook his head, wondering why he had given that answer. He hadn't killed Talbot, and yet he had just admitted to it. Of course, he couldn't have known that Jason had used his glamour on him the night he got drunk in that very bar.

"No, that's not..."

"I can't be lied to. Did you really think I didn't know you forced them to call me?"

Russell leveled a menacing glare at Jason. "It doesn't matter, you are here now, and mine. You are right, they will do as I say if they want the continued supply of my blood. Whether I killed Talbot or not matters very little now. I have your blood now." The sudden searing burn around his throat put him on his knees.

"As if we would let him walk into your state alone when we all know what you want." Sookie yanked on the chain earning a hiss from Russell.

"Where are you holding the weres and vampires," Jason asked.

"Warehouse just outside town, it's the last…" Russell roared in an attempt to stop himself from saying more, but it was too late.

"I know where it is." Grant piped up. There was a sudden flurry of activity as the weres readied to leave to get their loved ones and pack mates.

"Thank you, Russell, you have been most cooperative." Jason drawled in the same exaggerated accent as Russell.

"Let's get him chained up and ready to leave," Godric uttered as he stared at Debbie, whose eyes hadn't left Russell's kneeling form.

"You can leave him with us." Another were piped up, his shaking so much worse than Debbie's.

"Him alive isn't a chance we are willing to take," Thalia muttered.

"Oh, he will meet the true death just after we have a little fun with him," Debbie said with a chuckle.

Not a chance they were willing to take. "We do not need the AVL and the Council on our case. We are doing this by the book." Godric added.

"I guarantee he will be dead by sundown tomorrow." Grant offered. Debbie's shaking had gotten worse, and now they had more eyes on them now. This was something they clearly hadn't accounted for. The weres desire for the continued use of Russell's blood.

"Oh, fuck this," Eric growled, and before anyone could wonder what he meant, his stake was firmly in Russell's chest. "You killed for a crown that meant nothing to you." They both knew Russell had no idea who he truly was or what his words meant. "The AVL and the Council can come after me," Eric growled as he walked out.

"Well, that's that then," Jason muttered as he stared at the horrified faces on the weres. Their blood supply was gone. Vampires in the state of Mississippi would have to watch out for V addicted weres until Sophie-Anne dealt with Cooter's pack.

"You do realize you are now king of Mississippi." Grant offered unnecessarily. Eric scoffed at the notion before walking out.

"I will handle it," Godric said as they all walked out of the bar. It was a pathetic sight the way the weres stared at the blood on the floor. "That will be the first thing we handle in this state." Godric murmured as he got his phone out. Sophie-Anne's people were waiting at the border for his call. They had to get the vampires free before the weres got there and decided their blood was more important than their freedom. "Send them in." He ordered.

* * *

The takeover was smooth. The vampires in Russell's retinue were happy to stay on and work for Sophie-Anne, which made the transition a little easier as well. Russell's torture of them robbed them of any loyalty they might have felt for him. Their biggest problem it appeared were the wolves. Their need for V made them volatile and dangerous to vampires in the state.

The weres had been their allies for so long, not that they did so willingly, but still, they had helped in taking Russell out. Now it appeared if the situation weren't handled well, the weres would become a problem.


End file.
